UGO BASILE 47650, Instruction Manual

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Page 8
47650 Instruction Manual (Rev. 2.1)
Flip them up by the tail,
right-side up but dorsal
side in first, and then
drop them between the
rotating discs onto the
rotor.
Figure 4 “Placing the Mice on the Rotor ”
IMPORTANT :
The mice should not be lowered from above; if an attempt is made to place
the animal directly on the rotor, it will spread its legs and block entry
between the discs.
Experience and patience will teach the ideal technique: as in most behavioural devices,
the man/ animal interface is not less important than the animal/ machine one, and
requires some patience and gentle handling to be perfected.
Speaking about animal/machine interface, the surface finishing of the drums is a
sensitive point. The rotor drums are knurled to provide adequate grip. Soft substances
are not suitable, as the mice would cling to the drums without trying to keep pace with the
revolving rotor as the experiment dictates; knurled Perspex provides, according to our
experience, the ideal compromise, and remains spotless after years of use.
If you have the feeling that the rotor surface is too glossy and smooth, brush its knurled
surface with a metallic brush; this action will not make the surface texture coarser, but it
creates thousands of micro scratches which eventually improve the grip.