The Zantiks LT unit is designed to measure the behaviour of rodents and fish. Similar in functionality to the AD unit, but double the size, the LT unit is suited to studies with rodents and larger fish, such as guppies.
Benefits
Zantiks units are increasingly popular with labs worldwide. All the different types of unit are built along the same principles, enabling high throughput and easy-to-run experiments. The benefits of choosing Zantiks are that each unit:
- Provides an isolated and stable environment for consistent results
- Is networked and controlled via the web browser of any device
- Generates live video view, provides real-time video recording
- Uses the Zanscript language for experiment specification
- Provides real-time results processing and output in .csv format
- Has an integrated camera, computer, experimental chamber and built-in stimuli
- Requires only 12V power and a network connection
Target studies for rodents
The Zantiks LT is suitable for:
- Tracking rodents / fish in experimental environments (e.g., open field, Y-maze, Conditioned place preference).
- Training rodents and fish with food reward in operant tasks such as discrimination, 5-choice, match to sample.
- Tracking multiple animals singly-housed in individual arenas.
Zantiks LT kit
Overall unit size (external, approx. mm): 560 width, 410 depth, 870 height
Cage size for rodents (internal, mm): 360 width, 270 depth, 300 height
Tank sizes for aquatic (internal, mm) to maximum of: 360 width, 270 depth, 300 height
Technical specification
| Integrated unit | Built-in stimuli | |
| computer | lights (overhead) | |
| software | solid, liquid, gas delivery (motor) | |
| camera | visual images (floor / ceiling screen) | |
| experimental chamber |
Experimental chamber inserts
| Rodents | Fish | |
| Food hopper | Arena tanks | |
| 5-aperture insert | Dividing inserts | |
| Y-maze | light/dark inserts | |
| Y-maze |
Side screen
An extra side screen can be bought as an add-on to the LT unit, which allows for lateral presentation of images against the back wall of the unit. The side screen plugs in to the unit and is operated in the same way as the screen underneath / over the tank. Only one screen can be used at a time.
To see a demo script demonstrating how the side screen works, click through to the Side screen demo page. Or, please email your enquiry to info@zantiks.com.
Built-in stimuli
Solid and liquid delivery - both solid and liquid food reward, as well as chemical liquid stimuli (ie alarm substance) can be supplied when specified by the Zanscript script.
- Vibratory stimulus - vibration length, strength and pattern can be controlled with ms accuracy for startle and PPI studies.
- Visual stimuli - supplied on a screen from underneath the tank. These can be specified with sizes, shapes, colours, locations and bitmaps. As they are displayed via a screen, response times and update times can be controlled up to the 60Hz refresh rate of the display.
- Overall illumination - supplied from above the tank. This can be used to provide ambient lighting, circadian rhythm and/or light flashes to elicit startle responses. Colour brightness and duration can be specified with ms accuracy.
- Aversive mild electric shock - supplied with controllable voltage and duration.
How to operate
The Zantiks LT is simple to operate. Fully networked, Zantiks units are supplied with a router and controlled via a web browser, allowing users to operate them from their own phone, tablet, laptop, PC, Mac or Chromebook. From the web browser on your device you can edit scripts, start and stop chosen services, view live video, download results (.csv files).
To operate a Zantiks unit connect to the same network as the unit and open up the home page of the Zantiks unit, the Zantiks Control Console, by typing in the IP address of the unit in the browser (this is displayed on the LT's screen when you boot up). From this home page you can operate all your networked units.
For details on how to use the Zantiks Control Console on your device, look at the Zantiks Control Console manual.
High-throughput studies are easy to conduct with multiple units. All units are operated via the same web browser and can run identical experiments consecutively.
Tracking and video recording
The LT unit can track multiple animals that are housed singly in different arenas.
The scripts can be written to track the locomotion, distance travelled and time spent in different zones. They can also be written to record activity, such as a mouse's nose poke in a zone.
The video recording made below was taken of an eight-week old mouse in a Y-maze. The overlays in the video show, firstly that the unit was tracking the mouse in one arena (with a blue overlay), and secondly that there were four detector zones set up in the Y-maze, so that the mouse's movement between the arms of the Y-maze could be recorded.
Video recording of a Y-maze protocol with a mouse in the Zantiks LT unit
