Highlights from “Neuroscience Suprises – CineLAB/Touch Screen Chamber Integration, OmniPlex V1.14 for Audio Data, Double DIs, Quadruple Waveform Length!”
CineLAB™ is Here
Here is a great surprise for the behaviorists out there! The NEW CineLAB™ Behavioral Research System specially designed for those performing multiple trials with multiple animals is here! For years, Plexon has been known for our CinePlex® Behavior Research System that was developed for use in conjunction with high resolution neural recording. The CineLAB System is a completely different product for completely different researchers.
The CineLAB System is a digital video recording, tracking and analysis tool built on a sophisticated database for easy capture and manipulation of data acquired from many trials with many animals.
It offers so much including:
- The ability to modify parameters (such as zones, events and trial groupings) and the program automatically recalculates results without having to retrack the video,
- Start/stop recording triggered via external signals or timed,
- Trial grouping for visualizations and future analysis,
- The extended ability to customize data descriptors and labels,
- 12 digital inputs and 12 digital outputs for interfacing with third party equipment,
- Flexibility for use in almost any environment, and
- Prepared integration with Lafayette operant chambers andBussey-Saksida Touch Screen Chambers.
This year at Neuroscience we have prepared an active demonstration of not only the power of the CineLAB System, but also as it would integrate into the Bussey-Saksida Touch Screen Chamber. You will have a chance to observe how a mouse performs a training protocol in the touch screen chamber. When the mouse touches the correct image it gets rewarded with a pellet, or when it touches the wrong image it gets punished with the house light. The training protocol will be controlled by Lafayette’s ABET software. The CineLAB System will be tracking the animal and automatically detecting its center of gravity. It will also record and analyze the animal’s behavior (thigmotaxis, time spent in different parts of the chamber, times approaching and touching correct and incorrect images, and more).
A second integrated, fully functional demonstration will be available at the Laffayette-Campden Neuroscience booth in which the CineLAB System and the PlexBright® Optogenetic Stimulation System have been integrated into a Lafayette operant chamber with an active reward system. It is a great demo that you don’t want to miss!
OmniPlex® Software v1.14 for High-frequency Audio Data, Double the Digital Inputs, Longer Waveform Lengths
In addition to many important performance enhancements and new functionality, this release contains three notable features worth special emphasis: significantly faster auxiliary analog input (AuxAI) digitizing rates, added support for a second digital input card, and increased maximum neural spike waveform length.
Rates of up to 250kHz per channel are now supported with the “fast” AuxAI card, with a maximum of four channels. This is especially useful for researchers who wish to record high-frequency audio or other high-frequency, non-neural experimental data.
OmniPlex® Software v1.14 also expands its capacity for digital inputs (DI). Previously, one DI card with two ports was supported, each port enabling 16 lines of TTL inputs or one strobed word for a total of up to 32 lines or two strobed words. The new software release doubles that capability. For example, those needing to capture more than 32 types of events during an experiment while implementing a complex behavioral paradigm will benefit greatly from this enhancement.
Now, OmniPlex Software 1.14 supports a fourfold increase in maximum waveform length for a 5.6 millisecond waveform. This functionality can be ideal for researchers performing recordings in the cerebellum as well as those targeting dopaminergic cells.
Researchers are encouraged to read the Release Notes included in the software once downloaded. It contains examples of features mentioned here, as well as usage instructions and additional functionality. This latest download is free of charge for all OmniPlex System users. It is important to note that this release is available for Windows® 7 only, and can be found on the OmniPlex System webpage along with the updated demonstration version.