This technology is a vibrating platform that enables the measurement of vibration detection thresholds as part of mechanosensory dysfunction studies in animal disease models.
Deficiencies in vibration detection are an early manifestation of many neuropathies, and the ability to detect vibration is commonly used in human diagnostics and prognostics. However, evaluating somatosensory dysfunction in animal models of these conditions is currently limited to tests of proprioception (gait stability, reaching tasks) or withdrawal responses to painful stimuli. As such, there is a need for a sensitive method to measure somatosensory deficits in animal models of neuropathies for improved research and drug development.
This technology is a vibrating platform for measuring the threshold of vibration detection in animal disease models, providing a direct readout of somatosensory dysfunction for research and drug development. This technology consists of a vibrating platform for testing the response of mice to vibrating stimuli. Recordings of animal behavior during stimulation are used to quantify responses to changes in vibration frequency and intensity. Importantly, the frequencies of vibration are below the audible threshold of mice. Compared with current methods of delivering external stimuli to mice, this technology provides increased sensitivity, reduced invasiveness, and improved translational relevance. Consequently, this technology promises to greatly improve mechanistic research and drug development surrounding somatosensory dysfunction. A prototype of this technology has been demonstrated to be sufficiently sensitive to differentiate response thresholds for frequency and amplitude of an applied vibration in mice.
Patent Pending
IR CU18059
Licensing Contact: Jerry Kokoshka