BIOBSERVE - MLog

Home cage Activity Monitoring System

MLog is an infrared based Home Cage Activity Monitoring System which uses state of the art network technology.

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	Measuring activity
	The infrared sensors of the MLog system measure the activity of an animal by recording the body heat of that animal and its spatial movement. The activity is measured in all three dimensions in the range of the sensor. Since infrared radiation cannot pass through standard cage plastics, sensors in neighbouring cages do not interfere with each other. The system can be used with any cage size.

	Ten times per second
	Each sensor measures the activity of an animal ten times per second (10 Hz), independently of the total number of sensors in use. In competitive systems the data rate decreases with an increasing number of sensors. Although we work with a high data frequency, MLog can run over 24 hours a day 7 days a week and enables you to collect data for your research studies including for phenotyping or to simply monitor the health and welfare of your animals.

	Individual and pooled data
	You can divide the animals into groups (e.g. control and test doses) and the software calculates and presents the pooled data in real time. Thus you can compare the results of the different groups even while the experiment is ongoing.

	Real time data analysis and visualization
	At the same time, during the experiment the data are also being analyzed and can be presented in user friendly graphs and diagrams. This feature enables you to evaluate the experiment even while it is running so you can decide if you want to continue or stop the experiment and refine the selected parameters.

	Further processing of data and graphics
	Collected data can be exported to other applications. Further individual data manipulations can then be conducted. All diagrams and graphics which have been generated during the experiment are saved in vector graphic format (wmf) thereby making them easy to integrate and work with in other programs.		Export filters for the data: .txt, .doc, .csv, .xls, .xml Export filters for the graphs: .bmp, .wmf, .emf

	State of the art network technology
	The sensors communicate with the computer via TCP/IP protocol, the standard data communication protocol. Thus the data flow is fast and reliable and you can connect several hundreds of sensors to one computer. The sensors are linked with stable standard (Ethernet CAT-5) network cables whereby the same cable transports power and data simultaneously. That makes wiring easy.

	Remote control
	The MLog system can be accessed via Ethernet. Therefore it permits control and analysis from anywhere in the intranet and - if connected to the world wide web - anywhere in the world. Our customers often monitor entire racks with experiments in their animal facility from their desktop computer in their offices. And teams of scientists in multiple locations can run shared experiments, all of them being able to live-monitor their animals.

	Phenotyping integrated in biocontainment systems
	MLog can be integrated into biocontainment housing systems such as the BioZone IVC system (http://www.biozoneglobal.com). The ability to remote control the experiment is perfect to reduce the occasions with necessity to enter the animal area. Neither to perform experiments nor to analyse data presence of the scientist is required.

Phenotyping with the MLog system

The following list shows what kind of phenotypes can be detected with the MLog system based on the Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI) project that provides integrated access to data on the genetics, genomics, and biology of the laboratory mouse.

Take a look at the Mammalian Phenotype Browser for more information

Name of the test (MP term)		MP ID

advanced circadian phase [1]		2564
arrhythmic circadian persistence		2560
delayed circadian phase [2]		2565
narcolepsy [3]		5279
prolonged circadian period		2562
shortened circadian period		2563
bradykinesia [4]		5156
hyperactivity elicited by ethanol administration		2629
hypoactivity [5]		1402
lethargy [6]		5202
no spontaneous movement		1404

[1] increase in the phase relationship between a temporal synchronizing event (such as light cycle) and a phase reference point of an animal (such as activity onset)
[2] decrease in the phase relationship between a temporal synchronizing event (such as light cycle) and a phase reference point of an animal (such as activity onset
[3] recurring episodes of sleep during normal waking hours and often disrupted sleep during normal sleeping period; often accompanied by catplexy, sleep paralysis
[4] decreased spontaneity and movement
[5] reduced movement from one place to another
[6] mild impairment of consciousness resulting in reduced alertness and awareness; ultimately due to generalized brain dysfunction

	Take a look at the program tour to see how the system works in detail.
	If you have questions concerning this product, please don´t hesitate to use the following e-mail address: mlog@biobserve.com

European headquarter:
BIOBSERVE GmbH • Koenigswinterer Str. 418 • 53227 Bonn • Germany
Phone: +49 228 2016020 • Fax: +49 228 2016029
info@biobserve.com

North America:
2125 Center Ave. • Suite 500 • Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Phone: 201-302-6083 • Fax: 201-302-6062
info@biobserve.com