Overview

Automating the perfusion system gives much greater consistency and more reproducable perfusions, as well as greater convenience and ease of operation. The Perfusion Two complete system comes with an automated air compressor that quietly pumps to 300 mm Hg and stops. As each animal is being prepared, the pressure is set up to begin at the turn of a switch. An aperture between the air tank and the fluids provides the correct rate of pressure rise after the perfusion is started. No need to pump up the pressure, and less need for hands involved.

This instrument enables an animal sacrifice perfusion procedure that allows:

• Fixation without shrinkage
• Preservation of the extracellular space
• Thorough wash out of red blood cells
• Stronger labeling of cell contents with less background

The classic animal transcardiac perfusion procedure with saline prewash followed by formaldehyde fixative results in an about 20% shrinkage of brain volume, and gross anatomical distortion. The extracellular space which is about 20% of brain volume in living animals is absent; under electron microscopy, cells show up butted against each other.

Downloads