UGO BASILE RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS FOR RODENT BEHAVIOR, PAIN, MOTOR FUNCTION & NEUROSCIENCE
Engineered to Advance Rodent Research. EUROPEAN QUALITY.
Why Choose Ugo Basile?
Ugo Basile combines decades of manufacturing experience with ongoing development of new technologies for biomedical research. The company is globally recognised for its laboratory animal research equipment, including the original Ugo Basile RotaRod, pain and inflammation instruments, behavioural testing systems and motor-function measurement instruments.
Ugo Basile instruments have been cited in more than 50,000 peer-reviewed scientific publications, making the company one of the most recognised manufacturers of preclinical research equipment worldwide.
APAC Scientific supplies Ugo Basile laboratory research instruments across Australia and New Zealand.
What is the focus of your research?
PAIN & INFLAMMATION STUDIES
MOTORY COORDINATION
BEHAVIOUR, CONDITIONING REWARD
MAZES, TRACKING
VENTILATORS, ANESTHESIA
VITAL FUNCTIONS
TISSUE BATHS TRANSDUCERS
MISCELLANEOUS, ECT, LMD, METABOLISM
FEATURED INSTRUMENTS
ROTAROD
Motor Coordination & Neuromuscular Studies
Rotarods measure motor coordination, balance and neuromuscular performance in mice and rats by recording latency to fall from a rotating rod.
Precision Assessment with Flexible Testing Protocols
Flexible testing protocols include constant speed rotation, acceleration, deceleration, rocking motion and custom-designed rotation
Measure latency to fall, revolutions, distance travelled, speed, rotation mode etc.
Solutions for Diverse Applications – MOUSE OR RAT MODELS
A range of rod sizes, configurations, and optional accessories, such as complex wheel, allows the Rotarod to be adapted for different species, research models, and experimental requirements.
GAIT ANALYSIS
Motor Coordination & Locomotor Studies
The GA.I.T system evaluates gait patterns, locomotion, coordination, and motor performance in mice and rats.
VIRTUALLY MISTAKE FREE
Since the Ugo Basile method is not based on classic video-tracking contrast, but on AI algorithms and a high-frame-rate camera to fully automate detection of subtle motor, pain, or age-related gait alterations in rodent models making it virtually mistake-free.
APPLICATIONS FOR MOUSE & RAT MODELS
Assess motor function, neurological changes, and treatment-related effects across a range of research models.
COMPACT & COST EFFECTIVE
Easy fit, great value and an easy step to acquiring better data.
Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer
The Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer applies a controlled, increasing mechanical stimulus to the rodent paw to measure paw withdrawal threshold and mechanical nociception in pain, neuroscience, pharmacology and preclinical research.
Precision Assessment
Flexible testing includes increasing mechanical force; adjustable force and cut-off settings; automated withdrawal detection
Measure paw withdrawal threshold, applied force and response latency.
APPLICATIONS FOR MOUSE & RAT MODELS
Supports research into mechanical allodynia, hyperalgesia, neuropathic pain, inflammation and analgesic efficacy.
WHAT IS YOUR APPLICATION?
Quick links to recommended products
Addiction and Reward, Social Behaviour and Autism
Allodynia, Hypersensitivity, Somatosensation
Anxiety, Depression, Fear, Stress
Brain Chemistry, Phosphorylation, Neurotransmitters
Electrolytic lesions & infusions
Epilpsy, seizures, convulsions (ECT)
Memory, Learning, Alzheimers
Motor functions, Parkinson's, exercise, endurance, grip strength
Neuropathic Pain Hyperalgesia, Inflammation, Joint Pain (Arthritis)
Ventilation, Anesthesia, Surgical Monitoring
ABOUT UGO Basile's HIGHLY-CITED INSTRUMENT RANGE
What are the instruments for Pain & Inflammation studies?
| Instrument | Description |
|---|---|
| Analgesy-Meter (Randall-Selitto Test) | Delivers a linear, mechanically driven pressure force to the rodent’s paw to measure mechanical pain thresholds. Controlled via foot pedal with no calibration required. |
| Climbing Frame | Measures automated pain-depressed behavioral changes by quantifying alterations in climbing activity. |
| Dynamic Plantar Aesthesiometer | Automates mechanical touch sensitivity testing using an ascending force filament applied to the plantar surface. |
| Electronic Von Frey | Handheld digital system for measuring mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia using electronic force filaments. Provides high precision, rapid measurement, and selectable force ranges. |
| G.A.I.T Analysis System | A compact AI-powered system using advanced algorithms and a high-frame-rate camera to fully automate detection of subtle motor, pain, or age-related gait alterations in rodent models, with near 100% paw-tracking accuracy. |
| Hot/Cold Plate NG | Solid-state thermal testing surface with a rapid temperature range from -5°C to 65°C. Operates in constant temperature or linear ramping modes via advanced X-Pad software. |
| Incapacitance Tester (Librae System) | An advanced static weight-bearing platform that features AutoStart window detection and magnetic quick-clean pads to automatically track spontaneous pain and joint inflammation in rodents. Absolute precision, removes operator bias. |
| Orofacial Stimulation Test | Specialized access-well system designed to evaluate trigeminal mechanosensitivity and thermal hypersensitivity. |
| Plantar Test (Hargreaves Apparatus) | Uses a focused, mobile infrared light source beneath a transparent glass pane to target an individual rodent hind paw and automatically records paw withdrawal latency. |
| Plethysmometer | Measures precise changes in rodent paw volume using a water displacement cell to quantify acute inflammatory edema. |
| Tail Flick | Uses a high-precision radiant heat source focused on the rodent tail, with automatic infrared photocell recording of withdrawal responses. |
| Thermal Gradient Ring (Zimmermann’s Method) | Unique circular thermal testing arena that removes physical boundaries and spatial cues, enabling uninterrupted evaluation of thermal preference phenotyping. |
| Thermal Place Preference Test | Dual-temperature choice chamber system designed to monitor boundary preferences and assess thermal nociceptive thresholds. |
| Von Frey Hair | Semmes-Weinstein set of 20 monofilaments used to measure paw withdrawal reflexes and evaluate mechanical allodynia and cutaneous sensory responses. |
What are the instruments for Motor Coordination studies?
| Instrument | Description |
|---|---|
| Activity Cage | Features a dual-array system of upper and lower infrared (I.R.) emitters to independently automate the tracking of horizontal movement and vertical rearing. It handles high-throughput screening by monitoring up to 6 cages simultaneously from a single electronic unit. |
| Balance Beam Walking Test | Designed with magnetic, detachable escape compartments for easy cleanup and a highly specialized adjustable safety net that reduces animal anxiety and stress during testing. |
| G.A.I.T. Analysis System | A tabletop corridor system powered by supervised AI algorithms rather than traditional video contrast tracking. It guarantees virtually 100% paw detection accuracy without requiring time-consuming, frame-by-frame manual corrections. |
| Grip Strength Meter | Measures forelimb, hind-limb & all-limb strength with self-calibrating force sensor, peak detection, and interchangeable grasping accessories. Includes software for controlled force application and easy data export. |
| Hole Board Device (Boissier-Simon) | Constructed with anti-glare, non-reflective matte Perspex specifically optimized to eliminate visual artifact reflections during automated video tracking. |
| RotaRod for Mice and Rats | The industry pioneer device, managed via the XPad software suite, capable of operating across constant speeds, complex acceleration ramps, and specialized rocking (back-and-forth) protocols. Complex wheels and rod enlargers are add-ons. |
| Running Wheels | Built with low-friction, stand-alone assemblies utilizing magnetic sensors to record long-term, stress-free voluntary exercise and circadian rhythms directly inside standard home cages. |
| Treadmill | A premium, multi-lane enclosure featuring a quiet, precise drive motor and an integrated, software-controlled electrical shock grid to accurately enforce training compliance during intense endurance testing. |
What are the instruments for behaviour, conditioning and reward?
| Instrument | Description |
|---|---|
| Active Avoidance set-up for Mice and Rats (Shuttle-Box) | Automates conditioned response protocols for up to 4 cages simultaneously using a highly reliable tilting floor detection mechanism. |
| Conditioned Place Preference Cages for Rats or Mice (CPP) | Engineered with interchangeable tactile floors and non-reflective, high-contrast visual wall patterns, this versatile family of 2 or 3 compartment cages is optimized for video-tracking to evaluate motivational and drug abuse potential without visual bias. |
| Electric Shock Meter | Precisely measures and calibrates the exact current delivered across cage grid floors. |
| Fear Conditioning complete system | An all-in-one, turn-key solution for Pavlovian paradigms, this complete package integrates a state-of-the-art animal cage and sound-attenuating cubicle. Automate freezing detection with ANY-maze tracking software. |
| Fear Conditioning System | Designed for highly reproducible cued and contextual protocols, this Fear Conditioning System pairs programmable single-frequency sound cues and grid shocks with infrared/visible lighting for flawless automated immobility scoring. |
| Isolation Cubicle | This premium sound-attenuating chamber provides a controlled, distraction-free environment for conditioning cages, featuring integrated electronics, ventilation, and optional lead-sheet lining to block external electromagnetic and acoustic interference. |
| Lickometer (Vogel Test) set-up | Highly optimized for drinking-conflict paradigms, this versatile Lickometer drinking actions to precise electric shocks across up to 5 cages to efficiently screen anxiolytic drug properties. |
| Multiple-Cage Set-up for Learned Helplessness | Built to study stress-induced depression and cognitive deficits, this Learned Helplessness Set-Up features a sophisticated generator that delivers fully randomized, unpredictable shock trains to inescapable grid-floor enclosures. |
| Operant Fear Conditioning Cage | Optimized for complex behavioral paradigms, this specialised chamber embeds an accessible operant wall featuring responsive levers, cue lights, and reward delivery ports within a protected isolation cubicle. |
| Operant Fear Conditioning (OFC) | Combining classic operant tasks with fear conditioning capabilities, this hybrid platform allows researchers to evaluate the neural mechanisms of decision making, cue reactivity, and threat assessment within a single session. |
| Operon Full System | A comprehensive preclinical tool for cognitive impairment research, this setup integrates a specialized sliding door apparatus with a continuous air control module and an advanced olfactory delivery system. |
| Operon (for attentional set-shifting) | Revolutionizing automated cognitive testing, the Operon automates intra- and extra-dimensional (ID/ED) set-shifting batteries by using a 10-channel odor delivery system alongside visual and tactile stimulations. |
| Passive Avoidance - Step Down for Mice | Featuring a vibrating platform and a precision 8-pole shocker, this Passive Avoidance System provides a reliable, fear-motivated paradigm to evaluate short- and long-term memory retention in neurodegenerative disease models. |
| Passive Avoidance - Step through | Utilizing a silent, automated elevator door design, this Step-Through Passive Avoidance apparatus cleanly records the sub-second latency of rodents moving from a bright compartment to a shock-paired dark compartment. |
| Pellet Dispenser for Rats and Mice | Delivering exceptional precision for reward-based learning, this fully automated pellet dispenser accurately handles micro-sized food reinforcers (10–45 mg) without mechanical jamming on automated multi-maze setups. |
| Porsolt Forced Swim Test | The standard for high-throughput antidepressant screening, this structurally durable glass tank setup provides a highly visible, glare-reduced arena to cleanly record behavioral immobility and escape tendencies. |
| Startle PPI 3.0 – Pre-Pulse Inhibition of Startle Reflex | Specifically configured for large rodents weighing 450g to 800g, this high-capacity configuration provides specialized, non-restrictive animal restrainers to test sensorimotor gating without compromising reflex data accuracy. |
| Tail Suspension Test | Ideal for high-throughput behavioral despair screening, this automated suspension platform measures depression-related immobility in mice, eliminating subject-to-subject interference via specialized cross-talk barriers. |
| Visual Cliff | This structural depth-perception apparatus relies on non-reflective materials and adjustable grid heights to reliably evaluate visual acuity, cortical development, and spatial orientation in rodents. |
What are the Mazes And Video-Tracking Software?
| Product Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Agora Maze (SocioBox method) | Evaluates social novelty preference, dominance, and olfactory behaviours by allowing a free-moving subject to choose between multiple perimeter-isolated stimulus animals. |
| Atlantis Platforms | Automates target site variations inside Morris Water Maze pools, allowing remote software control of platform elevation to prevent unwanted spatial or tactile cues. |
| Barnes Maze | Provides a valid dry-land alternative for spatial learning and memory testing, relying on the rodent's natural aversion to open, bright spaces. |
| Cincinnati Water Maze | A massive 2x2 meter aquatic arena integrated with 9 T-mazes and IR-transparent materials to fully map egress learning and memory in total darkness. |
| Circular Pools for Morris Water Maze | Constructed from resilient, lightweight alimentary-grade fibreglass and equipped with embedded transport wheels for rapid spatial learning and memory test setups. |
| Delta Maze | An advanced, non-reflective modular track configuration engineered specifically to evaluate sophisticated decision-making and alternating choice logic in rodents. |
| Elevated Plus Maze | A gold-standard, high-contrast testing arena optimized for automated video-tracking to evaluate exploratory drive versus open-space anxiety thresholds. |
| Elevated Zero-Maze | Removes the ambiguous centre zone found in traditional plus mazes, using a continuous circular track to yield highly reliable, artifact-free anxiety tracking data. |
| Light/Dark Box | Utilises a silent, software-controlled threshold gate dividing high-intensity and pitch-black zones to measure unconditioned aversion and exploratory dynamics. |
| LUX Infrared Illuminator | Provides specialized, even-distribution under-shelf lighting spectrums invisible to rodents, guaranteeing crisp silhouettes for video tracking software in dark phases. |
| Multi-Maze (Fully Automated Modular) | A highly versatile, multi-arm device that can be rapidly restructured into automated Radial, Y, or T configurations by simply rearranging the modular tracks. |
| Nomura Forced Swim Test | An automated, camera-compatible cylinder system explicitly configured to eliminate human observation bias during high-throughput mouse depression studies. |
| Novel Object Recognition (NOR) | Features a collection of matte, white, distinct geometric shapes (cubes, spheres, pyramids) designed to test recognition memory inside open field arenas. |
| Open Fields | Constructed with specialized non-reflective matte surfaces available in multiple dimensions, serving as the foundational arena for anxiety and exploratory profiling. |
| Radial Maze 8-Arm | Optimized for video tracking with custom surface textures to maximize rodent grip comfort during complex working and reference spatial memory protocols. |
| Sociability Apparatus (3-Chambered) | A classical three-zone layout engineered to assess social affiliation, choice preference, and social recognition dynamics in an artifact-free environment. |
| T-Maze | A precise, single-choice point track layout optimized with high-contrast, non-reflective floor textures to reliably quantify spatial alternation and working memory. |
| Tube Dominance Test | A specialized, clear narrow-corridor matching setup designed to evaluate social hierarchy, push-back vectors, and executive dominance traits in stable cohorts. |
| USB Camera and Optics | A high-frame-rate, IR-sensitive industrial imaging lens package designed to maintain uncompromised coordinate capture under extreme low-light testing phases. |
| Video-Tracking Software - ANY-Maze | A comprehensive, multi-apparatus tracking platform built with advanced pixel-contrast algorithms to eliminate manual frame-by-frame error corrections. Interfaces directly with external hardware devices, automated doors, cue lights, etc. |
| Y-Maze | A streamlined three-arm track layout featuring single choice points, ideal for assessing spontaneous alternation behavior and spatial short-term memory. |