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A microcomputer-based drop counter is described that allows the accurate measurement of fluid flows up to about 5 ml/min. Detailed construction information is included. Unlike most previously described drop counters, it displays flow directly in ml/min and calculates a confidence limit for the measurement.
A computer-controlled tissue stimulator interface will be described. This device can generate a basic train at a predetermined rate. An extra pulse is introduced after a selected number of pulses. The initial latency of this extra pulse is shorter than the tissue refractory period. The latency is increased, automatically, until the tissue produces a conducted response. This is made possible by the computer checking the tissue response. The device is inexpensive and can be readily controlled by any 8 bit microcomputer, such as the Commodore PET or VIC-20. The use of a signal conditioner has been discussed. Such a circuit facilitates detection of the often slowly occurring action potential of the premature beat riding on the repolarization phase of the normal action potential.
An automated data acquisition and analysis system based on a microcomputer (Apple II Plus) is described. The system was developed and used to collect and analyze data from rat working heart preparations. The system eases both data acquisition and calculation of derived parameters. Certain sources of error in these calculations are eliminated. The methods and formulae used to obtain various parameters of cardiac function are detailed. In addition, sample data are shown for the effect of thyroid hormone pretreatment on rate of left ventricular pressure development in the rat working heart.
Hemodynamic drug-effect studies require repetitive measurements and time-consuming calculations, particularly for the indices of left ventricular (LV) contractility and relaxation. To save time, we have created a system of acquisition, calculation, storage, and report of hemodynamic data processing E.K.G, peripheral arterial pressure, and LV pressure signals using a standard microcomputer (Apple II+) and simple accessory devices. The master program is written in BASIC Applesoft, with Mem/Dos as the disk operating system. A suite of utility routines, written in machine language, are used to program the A/D converter and to perform the vectorial calculations on the data. The software, written to process single-dose drug-effect studies, performs 1) data acquisition and storage as vectorial arrays accessible using BASIC, 2) monitor display, 3) calculations of the peripheral pressure and of the LV contractility and relaxation indices, 4) storage of the calculated indices, and 5) print-out of a report (curves and tables) at the end of each experiment and cumulated results of all the animals included in a protocol. The drawback of such a low-cost system is essentially the lack of available memory and the relatively slow speed of the microprocessor, which hinders simultaneous processing of indices needing nonlinear curve fitting and adequate print-out of protocols that are not single dose.
The chronically prepared gut with strain-gauge transducers is a useful model to evaluate the effects of drugs affecting the digestive motility in fed and fasted animals. This paper describes a rapid and reproducible on-line microcomputerized technique to evaluate continuously, 23 hr per day, the level of gut motility using a portable compact microcomputer (EPSON HX 20). The gastric, intestinal, and colonic motility indexes were automatically determined from the surface of the contractile waves from eight different sites over periods of time varying from 1 to 120 min. This system has been successfully used to investigate the motor effects of spasmolytic or antidiarrheal drugs inravenously (N-butyl-hyoscine, trospium, secoverine, and prifinium) or orally (trimebutine, loperamide) administered in conscious, fed dogs.
In order to measure the systolic blood pressure of conscious rats without thermal stress, a highly sensitive pulse sensor was developed using a light-emitting diode-photo diode system. The combination of this pulse sensor and microcomputer system led to the development of a six-channel automatic blood pressure measuring apparatus for rats. It can measure the systolic tail arterial pressure of conscious rats at 28-30 degrees C. The relationship between direct carotid arterial pressure (Y) and indirect tail arterial pressure (X) in conscious spontaneously hypertensive rats can be expressed as follows: Y = 0.95X + 19.9 (mm Hg, r = 0.988, 28 degrees C). The new apparatus was also used to confirm the acute hypotensive effects of hydralazine, nifedipine, and pindolol in spontaneously hypertensive rats and the subacute antihypertensive effect of trichlormethiazide in desoxycorticosterone/saline hypertensive rats.
An inexpensive means of tail-flick latency data acquisition and analysis using an Apple IIe microcomputer and three simple interface circuits is described. Descriptions of the software and hardware are provided with schematics and program listings. The measurement, storage, and analysis of the data are integrated in one system.
We have developed a microcomputer system for the instantaneous on-line analysis of cardiac action potentials (APs) based on a Motorola 68000 microprocessor and 50 kHz A/D converter. This system can accurately analyze APs from all parts of the heart, including the extremely fast upstrokes of APs from Purkinje fibers. Facilities for tabulation of results, production of hard-copy plots of APs, pooling of experimental data, and statistical analyses are available off-line. The routine use of this system in our laboratory has greatly increased the accuracy and throughput of these time-consuming experiments.
The authors investigated the use of a programmable digitizer, multiplexer, and laboratory microcomputer as a rapid and accurate means of evaluating potential inotropic or antiarrhythmic drugs using mammalian atrial preparations.
A simple and ready-to-use program to analyze hydrophilicity and amphipathicity characteristics of protein sequences is described. Three of the most commonly used hydrophilicity scales can be selected and the block length can also be varied. The program is written in BASIC language, can be run on any microcomputer and does not require computer experience. The program output is exemplified by a sample of lysozyme hydrophilicity and amphipathicity analysis.
This article describes the construction of an inexpensive and reliable data acquisition system for a Varian E-line Century Series ESR spectrometer utilizing an Apple II Plus microcomputer. All necessary hardware is readily available and used without modification. A BASIC program for routine collection, display, plotting and disk storage of experimental data has been written and subsequently compiled into machine code for high speed operation. The interface offers distinct advantages in spectral resolution as well as instrument control. An example of signal enhancement via computer controlled time averaging is presented for a spin labeled DNA experiment. The technique has recently been applied to studies of relative binding affinities of gene-32 protein for various spin-labeled polynucleotides.
We have developed a system for semi-automatic protein quantitation assays based on an inexpensive, general-purpose microcomputer. A commercial curve fitting program was modified for direct data input from the spectrophotometer via an analog to digital converter. The software provides specific prompts for protein assays resulting in a rapid and user friendly, semi-automated system. A listing of the protein assay results are printed, or stored to a magnetic disk, along with a graphic representation of the standard curve.
We have developed a computer system which enters and aligns serial sections and displays the completed reconstructions at different rotations in space. The system uses commercially available hardware, including a Hewlett-Packard 9845T microcomputer and an H-P 9874A digitizer. The software for the system is written in the BASIC language. The system consists of two programs, one for section digitization, the other for rotation and display of the reconstructions. Sections are digitized directly from micrographs or back-projected slides. The outlines of cells or other structures are traced from these media using a hand-held cursor on the digitizer. The positions of elements (inputs) which contact the structure and fiducials are also digitized. The sections are aligned by simultaneously displaying two consecutive sections on the graphics CRT screen. The sections are coarsely superimposed by centering around screen center using a centering algorithm. They are precisely aligned by rotating and translating the images with a reference cursor. Special functions for inserting and deleting sections and rapid section scanning are available for editing. The aligned sections are stored using a linked-list file structure on either floppy disks or tape cartridges. The rotation program replots the completed reconstructions on the graphics CRT or digital plotter. The program will reproduce the reconstructions at any scale and at any rotation in the x-, y- or z-planes. A hidden line algorithm removes hidden lines to give a 3-dimensional (3-D) perspective to the reconstructions. The positions of inputs and fiducials are represented by symbols. We use the system to reconstruct cells and neural processes. The 3-D reconstructions allow us to: (a) examine the spatial distribution and density of synaptic contacts on neurons; (b) study complex neuronal shapes; (c) examine the vectors of neural processes. The computer reconstruction system, which is moderately priced, should also prove useful for reconstructing many other types of biological profile.
A description is given of a system for rapidly measuring the durations of open times and closed times of single channel currents obtained by patch clamp techniques. The apparatus required, a BBC microcomputer and a Unilab interface, is inexpensive and easy to use. An outline of the software is given and measurements of the accuracy of timings presented. Examples of analyses of single channel currents obtained from spinal neurones in cultures are also presented.
A microcomputer interface card is described, using a standard peripheral interface adapter chip, for use in multi-channel extracellular single unit recording. The design is for the Apple II. The card sends an interrupt signal to the processor whenever a pulse arrives to it, and enables the computer to read out which of 8 possible channels brought the pulse and when.
A computer program is presented that will calculate Fourier transforms and power spectra. The program is written in assembly language for the Z-80 microprocessor and has been used on a Radio Shack TRS-80 microcomputer to analyze time-dependent data from laboratory experiments.
A program, written in the language Pascal, is described for signal averaging with a microcomputer. The program instructs the computer to acquire data from two channels on-line. For up to 3 channels of extracellular or intracellular recording analysed simultaneously, it was found not to be necessary to employ machine code or an assembler to provide adequate temporal resolution.
Four computer programs written for the BBC Model B microcomputer (coupled to a Unilab 8-bit interface) are discussed. These programs enable the system to be used as (1) a transient recorder, (2) a rapid signal averager, (3) a spike-train analyser and (4) an instrument for measuring the amplitude of single channel currents. Flow-charts illustrating the operation of each program are given along with a detailed discussion of how the programs may be used in the laboratory. The discussion is illustrated using recordings taken from experiments conducted on a range of neurobiological preparations.