Phoenix-Micron Announces New Animal Stand with Integrated Anesthesia Delivery

Designed for use with inhalation anesthetics like isoflurane, the new patent-pending animal stand is designed to simplify and improve in vivo small animal ocular imaging

BEND, Ore., May 3, 2024 Phoenix-Micron, Inc. ("Phoenix"), recognized globally for its leadership in in vivo ophthalmic imaging of small animals, today announced the MICRON Animal Stand - Pro. For the first time, inhalation anesthetic delivery is integrated into an animal stand specifically designed for ophthalmic imaging. The new, patent-pending, design is plumbed for anesthesia delivery and venting, includes the WhiskerWipes™ animal mask, and supports integrated animal heating.

For small animal, in vivo ophthalmic research, both isoflurane and ketamine-xylazine are commonly used forms of anesthesia, each with specific impacts on physiological responses and experimental outcomes. Up to now, when researchers choose inhalation anesthetics like isoflurane, they are often faced with managing cumbersome tubing, awkward animal face masks, and attachments that interfere with proper presentation of the animal to the MICRON camera, reducing imaging throughput or impeding quality image capture.

"Today, we are excited to bring integrated anesthesia delivery and animal heating to our micro-adjustable animal stand product line to improve preclinical ophthalmic imaging where inhalation anesthetics are used."

For the first time, inhalation anesthetic delivery is integrated into an animal stand specifically designed for ophthalmic imaging. With the MICRON Animal Stand - Pro:

"Our customers often tell us they're tired of using surgical tape to attach rodent anesthesia masks to an animal stand, and express frustration with anesthesia tubing bumping into the camera," said J. Scott Carr, CEO, Phoenix-Micron, Inc.. "One of our key values is to listen, learn, and innovate products that delight our customers. Today, we are excited to bring integrated anesthesia delivery and animal heating to our micro-adjustable animal stand product line to improve preclinical ophthalmic imaging where inhalation anesthetics are used."

In addition, a redesigned animal heater is built into the MICRON Animal Stand - Pro to maintain optimum subject animal body temperature for long imaging sessions and electrophysiology observations:

Both the Animal Stand - Pro and the existing Animal Stand - Standard make it is easy to present the subject animal to the camera to image retinal, corneal, and external structures of the eye, allowing for micro adjustments to animal stand height and to the tilt of the platform, and the ability to move the animal through the horizontal plane.

Users that exclusively use intraperitoneal injections for sedation and do not have a need for an animal heater during imaging can opt for the MICRON Animal Stand - Standard. This micron-adjustable animal stand has been used at hundreds of research labs for quality ophthalmic imaging, and will continue to be available as an option.

The MICRON Animal Stand - Pro will be on display at ARVO 2024, and is immediately available to order, with first units expected to ship in August, 2024.