Access Control Module

Drinking bottles and food containers are enclosed in sleeves fixed to the cage lid that protect the sensors and allow easy access to food and liquid through large front openings. These sleeves can be equipped with additional doors driven by small software-controlled servo motors mounted to the cage lid – The Access Control Module. The doors can be opened and closed software-controlled according to user-defined regimens to restrict access to food and liquid by time, duration and/or by the amount consumed.

All doors can be open and closed independently in each cage. It is also possible to perform paired and yoked experiments based on the consumption of a control individual or the averaged consumption of a whole group of animals – automatically conducted without user interference! Combined with a Running Wheel the access can be coupled to running performance. Or use this module to study the effect of food and/or water restriction on task acquisition in an Operant Wall experiment.

Up to two access control units can be installed per cage as standard. Special cage lids allow mounting of a third access control module. A special option is to add RFID recognition to the Food Access modules in case a group of animals is housed in the cage (available for mice only). Please contact our specialists to discuss the best solution for your research.