TOW-INT WBP-8MR Whole Body Plethysmography System

Overview

The TOW-INT WBP-8MR Whole Body Plethysmography System is a high-fidelity, non-invasive respiratory phenotyping platform engineered for longitudinal, unrestrained assessment of ventilatory function in conscious, freely moving rodents. Operating on the principle of constant-volume (barometric) whole-body plethysmography, the system detects minute pressure fluctuations within a sealed chamber induced by animal respiration—enabling derivation of flow-related parameters without tracheal instrumentation or anesthesia. This methodology ensures physiological relevance by preserving natural behavioral states, circadian rhythms, and autonomic regulation—critical for translational respiratory pharmacology, toxicology, and disease modeling. The WBP-8MR supports eight parallel chambers, each independently configurable for mice and/or rats via interchangeable animal enclosures, making it suitable for medium-to-high-throughput preclinical screening while maintaining individual animal-level data integrity.

Key Features

• Eight-channel modular architecture with independent chamber control and real-time synchronization
• Integrated aerosol nebulization module compatible with liquid and dry-powder formulations for inhaled challenge studies (e.g., methacholine, histamine, allergens)
• Automated in-situ calibration using precision volume displacement and pressure reference standards—no manual recalibration required between sessions
• Dual-access ports (food and water) enabling ≥72-hour continuous monitoring under ad libitum conditions without animal disturbance
• Expandable sensor interface supporting concurrent acquisition of ECG, blood pressure (via tail-cuff or telemetry integration), core body temperature, and heart rate
• Optional synchronized video recording with time-stamped event annotation for behavioral correlation (e.g., grooming, rearing, freezing)
• Software-based cough detection algorithm trained on validated murine acoustic and pressure waveform signatures

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The WBP-8MR accommodates both murine and rat models across standard weight ranges (15–40 g mice; 150–500 g rats) using chamber inserts designed to maintain optimal chamber-to-animal volume ratio (typically 3:1 to 5:1), minimizing artifact from thermal transients and motion-induced pressure noise. All hardware components comply with IEC 61000-6-3 (EMC emission standards) and IEC 61000-6-2 (immunity). Data acquisition workflows support ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principles for animal welfare and align with OECD Test Guidelines 412 (Subacute Inhalation Toxicity) and 413 (Chronic Inhalation Toxicity). The system architecture facilitates compliance with GLP documentation requirements—including electronic audit trails, user access controls, and raw data immutability—when deployed with validated software configurations.

Software & Data Management

Acquisition and analysis are performed using TOW-INT Plethysmography Suite v4.x, a Windows-based application compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 (electronic records/signatures) when configured with role-based authentication and audit logging enabled. The software computes over 20 standardized respiratory endpoints—including Ti (inspiratory time), Te (expiratory time), PIF (peak inspiratory flow), PEF (peak expiratory flow), f (respiratory frequency), Vt (tidal volume), MV (minute ventilation), EF50 (expiratory flow at 50% expired volume), PenH (enhanced pause)—using algorithms consistent with ATS/ERS consensus definitions. Raw pressure waveforms and derived parameters are exportable in CSV, Excel (.xlsx), and plain-text (.txt) formats. Batch processing, group-wise statistical overlays, and customizable report templates streamline comparative analysis across treatment arms and timepoints.

Applications

• Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) profiling in asthma, COPD, and allergic airway inflammation models
• Pharmacodynamic evaluation of inhaled bronchodilators, corticosteroids, biologics, and novel anti-fibrotics
• Inhalation toxicology: assessment of environmental particulates (PM_2.5, diesel exhaust), industrial aerosols, and nanomaterials
• High-altitude physiology: ventilatory acclimatization, periodic breathing, and hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR)
• Sleep-disordered breathing: detection of apneas, hypopneas, and arousal-associated respiratory events
• Drug safety pharmacology: respiratory depression screening per ICH S7A guidelines
• Longitudinal disease progression tracking in pulmonary fibrosis, ARDS, and lung cancer metastasis models

FAQ

Is anesthesia or surgical intervention required to use the WBP-8MR?
No. The system is specifically designed for non-invasive, conscious animal measurements—eliminating confounding effects of anesthesia, tracheostomy, or restraint stress.
Can the WBP-8MR differentiate between central and obstructive apneas?
Yes. By analyzing simultaneous pressure waveform morphology, abdominal movement (via optional strain gauge), and behavioral video, the system supports classification of apnea subtypes per AASM criteria.
What level of technical support and validation documentation is provided?
TOW-INT provides IQ/OQ documentation templates, installation qualification reports, and method-specific SOPs. On-site training and remote validation assistance are available upon request.
Is the system compatible with implantable telemetry platforms such as Data Sciences International (DSI) or Ponemah?
Yes. The WBP-8MR features TTL-triggered synchronization and analog/digital I/O ports for hardware-level integration with third-party telemetry systems.
Does the software support automated detection of cough events?
Yes. The optional Cough Detection Module applies machine learning–based pattern recognition to identify characteristic high-frequency pressure oscillations and expiratory effort surges consistent with murine cough physiology.