News

2010

 

Remarkable and high quality grooming detection capability of LABORAS cited in a scientific paper by Dr. Capecchi and colleagues (University of Utah) published in Cell (May 28, 2010)

The University of Utah, Dep. Human Genetics has a LABORAS system with 8 platforms (since 2003) which is frequently used in their research programs. A recent scientific study by University of Utah (Mario Capecchi and colleagues) published in Cell (28th May, 2010) presents interesting insights in the compulsive grooming behavior exhibited by mice with a mutation in the Hoxb8 gene. The study made extensive use of the LABORAS platform to detect the grooming behavior and also distinguish it from the scratching behavior. The study cites LABORAS grooming detection capability as being “remarkably accurate” in comparison to human observation!! Furthermore, the study highlights direct links between immune system dysfunction and behavioral disorders.



In this PaperClip published on the Cell website (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc.), Karen Carniol speaks with Prof. Dr. Mario Capecchi (2007 Nobel price winner) about the hematopoietic origins of compulsive behavior. Interview with Prof. Dr. Mario Capecchi

 

"New developments Laboras" (April 5, 2010)

Metris is working on several new modules for Laboras that will further expand the multi functional capabilities of the Laboras technology. The following new modules will be introduced:
- Socialability Cage (availability: now)
- Light-Dark Cage (availability: June 2010)
- Scratching detection in rats (availability: June 2010)

More information about our on going developments can be found in the "In Development" section of our website.

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2009

 

"Metris and Porsolt join forces to promote preclinical screening using LABORAS technology " (November 5, 2009)

Metris and Porsolt join forces to promote preclinical screening using LABORAS, a non-invasive technology for automatic and comprehensive in vivo characterization of drug candidates.  Under this alliance, Porsolt will offer CRO services utilising the innovative in vivo screening platform to its clients. The Laboras system enables the measurement of multiple behavioral pharmacodynamic endpoints in a single experiment utilising a high throughput non-invasive system. More information can be found in the press release.

 Press release

 

"Metris launches the Sociality Cage for LABORAS" (January 20, 2009)

 

To investigate the complex genetics of social behaviors, mouse models of social dysfunction have been designed that are relevant to human disease symptoms. LABORAS provides an objective methodology to use these mouse models and score the social interactions.

The design of the Sociality Cage allows quantitating preference of a mouse for spending time with a stranger mouse vs. empty environment, as well as preference for a newly introduced unfamiliar mouse vs. a familiar mouse.
The Sociality Cage is a three compartments cage with small "doors" that allow the animal to move freely from one compartment to another. The doors can be closed to control the experiment. In the left and right compartments there are small cages, designed for the so called "stranger mouse".
LABORAS automatically calculates the number of transisitions from the center to the left and right compartment, the durations in every compartment, the latency times to move from the center to left and right compartment and also the duration in and number of transitions to the contact zone (the area around the small cages with the stranger or familiar mouse)

The automatic tracking of the mouse by LABORAS is demonstrated in the following movies
(mouse starts in the central room, familiar mouse in left compartment; no mouse in right compartment):

   Sociality Cage Movie #1

   Sociality Cage Movie #2

The Sociality Cage concept might be used in studying neuropsychiatric diseases such as autism, William's syndrome, social phobias and schizophrenia.

The study concept is based on the following publication:
 Automated apparatus for quantitation of social approach behaviors in mice

More details will be made available on our website on short notice.

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2008

 

"Metris to present its products on 3rd Russian Toxicology conference" (November 1, 2008)

From December the 1st to the 5th Metris will present its products on the biggest Toxicology conference in Eastern Europe. The conference that is organized for the 3rd time will be held just outside Moscow and is expected to attract hundreds of leading researchers and PhD's in several fields of Toxicology. The conference that is focused on Russia and other CIS countries is also open for delegates from other countries.
Technical Director Dr. Levon Bachdasarian will present the unique advantages and possibilities of the Metris products Laboras, SonoTrack and Sleepsign in Toxicological research and Safety pharmacology. The Metris products are already used by several leading Russian institutes in the field of pre-clinical research.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with us, please contact us at info@metris.nl or check the conference website http://www.rpohv.ru/tox.

Presentation Levon Bachdasarian

"Metris starts development of Ultrasound playback functionality in SonoTrack" (February 1, 2008)

Metris and her development partner National Instruments started the development of a SonoTrack version that can reproduce Ultrasound signals of laboratory animals with a very high precision. It is known that ultrasound signals must be reproduced very accurately to evoke a response of the animals. To realize this, the requirements on the ultrasound amplifiers, analog to digital converters and the ultrasound speakers are very stringent. The frequency response has to be flat over a wide range and the system has to be able to generate enough sound pressure to imitate the "real" ultrasound calls of a living animal. It's expected that the new functionality will be available in June 2008.

"Distributor for China and Hong Kong" (January 28, 2008)

As of February 1, "American Health & Medical Supply International Corporation" has become our exclusive distributor for the mainland China including Hong Kong. Metris and her new distributor will work closely together to introduce the Metris products on the quickly growing Chinese market. The companies will investigate the possibilities for a joint presentation of the Metris products on upcoming Neuroscience and Drug Development conferences in China. Chinese language versions of the product information will be made available on short notice.

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2007

"Metris succesful in Russia" (September 13, 2007)

Today, Metris and Retinoids signed a contract for the delivery of LABORAS platforms which will be used to support the pre-clinical research work of Retinoids amongst others in the field of dermatology. Retinoids is a fast growing company working for both national as international customers. Metris that started the first sales activities in Russia about a year ago is close to finalizing several other contracts in Russia for both the LABORAS and SONOTRACK products and will work closely together with the first customers. The first Russian customers will get an extensive training in Amsterdam to get the maximum out of LABORAS.

 

"Research cooperation between Metris and Université de Sherbrooke" (July 1, 2007)

Metris and Sherbrooke's Neuroscience Center jointed forces to investigate the use of Ultrasound Vocalisation in Cancer and Arthritic research. The goal of the cooperation is to find out if ultrasound vocalizations can be used as a useful parameter for chronic pain research. As part of the cooperation Metris provided a 4-channel SONOTRACK unit using the latest hardware and software for a period of several months. Sherbrooke will share the data with Metris which will enable Metris to further improve the data analysis features for chronic pain research in the near future.

 

"Metris develops tool that integrates LABORAS data and video data" (June 27, 2007)

A new developed tool will enable the users of LABORAS to show their recorded LABORAS data, the LABORAS behavior scores and the video recording of an experiment in an integrated way. In this way the experimenter will be able to evaluate the LABORAS scores or to score the periods of time where behaviors occurred that are not in the LABORAS behavioral repetoire. The white line in the middle shows the point in time where LABORAS signals, scores and video are synchronized. The lines left and right of it are respectively the data 1 second ahead and 1s later than the video time.

"Changes in Metris distibrution channels" (January 2007)

We are pleased to announce that as of January 1 Ankara based "Radon Medical" has become our exclusive distributor for Turkey. Before becoming distributor Radon Medikal has already been acting as a sales contact for two years now. More information about Radon Medical can be found on their website.
Metris has chosen for a more direct approach to the European customers and will from now on coordinate all sales and support activities directly from the Metris head quarters in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. As a result, Plexx b.v. will no longer act as Metris distributor for Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Scandanavia. This change will be effective starting at January 1, 2007. We thank Plexx for the pleasant cooperation over the last few years.

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2006

"Metris releases LABORAS 2.0" (September 1, 2006)

Metris launched the next version of it's flagship product LABORAS. Release 2.0 has many new functions and an improved user interface, making the use of LABORAS even more efficient and a pleasure to use. New functions include amongst others individual start of each LABORAS platform, upto 40% faster data processing, detection of circling/turning, night vision mode (to eliminate monitor light), improved print functionality, etc. Click on the this link for more information.

"Metris Moscow trip 2006" (June 2006)

In June Metris visited Moscow, marking the first step towards the promotion of our products in the Russian Federation. The trip consisted of visits to a number of pharmaceutical companies and institutes and a few factories to investigate the possibilities of future cooperations. Read more about it.

"Second edition of Metris "Vibes" released" (April 2006)

Find out more about our BRAND NEW automatic detection of "Scratching in mice" and "Purposeless chewing in rats" with LABORAS. And read our specials on LABORAS and Telemetry, the latest release of SONOTRACK, version 1.1 and the introduction of SleepSign for Animal in Europe by Metris.

"Metris Asia tour 2006" (April 2006)

In March Metris visited several international distributors and an agent during a 15-day visit to Asia. The trip included the combined tour with Kuo Yang in Taiwan, Scitech Korea Inc. in South Korea, Neuroscience Inc. in Japan and our new agent Medi Analytika Pvt. Ltd. in India. Read more about it.

2010-06-01