This system provides medical researchers specializing in traumatic brain injury a unique instrument to evaluate the mechanisms underlying brain trauma. The instrument enables the application of standard contusion injury to the brain of small rodents. The amount of cortical depression is user-selectable between 0 and 3.5 mm (0.01 mm increments). The target velocity of the impacting tip is electronically monitored and is user-selectable between 1.5 and 5.4 m/sec (0.1m/s increments). Dwell time, defined as the amount of time the cortical tissue remains depressed at the preset depression level, is user-selectable between 50 milliseconds and 5 seconds (1 millisecond increments). The system is ready to use out of the box when combined with a user-supplied stereotaxic frame1. All necessary electrical components are contained within the control box. No additional computer interface is required. The display on the control unit guides the investigator through the injury sequence for maximum reproducibility and ease of operation. The display shows the final impact velocity, dwell time and cortical displacement after the injury sequence...
keyword : surgical instruments, head, spinal cord impactor, psi