Harvard Apparatus RGBP Research-Grade Invasive Blood Pressure Measurement System

Overview

The Harvard Apparatus RGBP Research-Grade Invasive Blood Pressure Measurement System is a precision-engineered physiological monitoring platform designed for acute in vivo hemodynamic studies in preclinical research. It operates on the principle of high-fidelity piezoresistive transduction, where minute pressure-induced strain in a silicon diaphragm generates proportional electrical resistance changes—converted into calibrated voltage signals via low-noise, temperature-compensated signal conditioning circuitry. Unlike non-invasive methods, this system enables real-time, continuous, and high-temporal-resolution measurement of arterial, venous, or intracardiac pressures with sub-millimeter Hg (mmHg) resolution and minimal signal drift. Its architecture supports direct integration into established data acquisition ecosystems—including National Instruments DAQ systems, PowerLab (ADInstruments), Spike2 (CED), and custom LabVIEW-based platforms—via standardized BNC analog output.

Key Features

• Piezoresistive transducer technology with medical-grade Silastic® sensor dome and biocompatible silicone diaphragm, validated for direct blood contact per ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity and ISO 10993-4 hemocompatibility standards
• APT300 arterial pressure transducer: optimized for broad species compatibility (mouse, rat, rabbit, guinea pig, swine, non-human primate) with nominal full-scale ranges from ±100 mmHg to ±300 mmHg and zero drift < 0.5 mmHg/hour under constant static pressure
• Dedicated signal amplifier with adjustable gain (×10 to ×100), DC-coupled response (0–1000 Hz bandwidth), and built-in low-pass filtering (cutoff selectable at 100 Hz or 500 Hz) to suppress high-frequency noise without phase distortion
• BNC analog output compliant with IEEE 1073.1.3.1 (Medical Device Communication Standard) for seamless interfacing with third-party acquisition hardware
• Reusable transducer assembly: autoclavable up to 134°C (273°F) for 18 minutes; recommended replacement interval ≤ 20 sterilization cycles or 6 months of cumulative use, whichever occurs first
• Calibration traceable to NIST-traceable dead-weight testers; factory calibration certificate provided with each transducer batch

Sample Compatibility & Compliance

The RGBP system is validated for use in terminal and survival surgical preparations across rodent and large animal models. Transducer placement is compatible with femoral, carotid, iliac, and ascending aortic cannulation protocols. All wetted components meet USP Class VI biological safety requirements and are free of latex, phthalates, and DEHP. The system supports GLP-compliant study workflows: amplifier firmware logs timestamped calibration events, and transducer serial numbers are recorded in raw data headers—enabling full audit trail reconstruction per FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements when paired with compliant acquisition software (e.g., LabChart v8+ with electronic signature module). It conforms to IEC 61000-4-2 (ESD immunity) and IEC 60601-1 (general safety for medical electrical equipment), though it is designated for research use only—not clinical diagnostic application.

Software & Data Management

The RGBP system delivers analog voltage output (typically 0–10 V = –100 to +300 mmHg), requiring external digitization. When integrated with ADInstruments LabChart, it supports automatic pressure unit conversion, real-time mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic/diastolic derivation, and beat-to-beat interval analysis using built-in hemodynamic modules. Raw voltage streams retain full fidelity for post-hoc reprocessing in MATLAB or Python (via .mat or .csv export). Acquisition software must implement proper anti-aliasing sampling (≥2 kHz minimum for arterial waveform fidelity) and zero-reference calibration prior to each experiment. Harvard Apparatus provides detailed SOP templates for transducer zeroing, static pressure calibration, and dynamic frequency response verification—aligned with ASTM F2781-10 (Standard Practice for Verification of Hemodynamic Monitoring Systems).

Applications

• Pharmacological evaluation of vasoactive compounds (e.g., angiotensin II, nitroprusside, phenylephrine) via continuous arterial pressure tracking during IV infusion
• Cardiovascular phenotyping in genetically modified murine models, including heart rate variability (HRV) and pulse pressure analysis
• Neurovascular coupling studies requiring simultaneous cortical LFP/EEG and intracranial pressure (ICP) or middle cerebral artery pressure
• Shock model characterization (septic, hemorrhagic, cardiogenic) with time-resolved MAP, dP/dt_max, and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) calculation
• Validation of non-invasive BP estimation algorithms against gold-standard invasive reference data

FAQ

Is the APT300 transducer compatible with both small and large animal models?
Yes—the APT300 is engineered with a universal 1.2 mm outer diameter catheter port and configurable fluid-fill tubing lengths, supporting arterial cannulation in mice (25–30 g) through swine (>30 kg) without hardware modification.
Can the transducer be reused across multiple experiments?
Yes, provided strict adherence to Harvard Apparatus’ sterilization protocol (autoclave at 134°C for 18 min, max 20 cycles) and post-sterilization recalibration verification using a static pressure column.
Does the system support differential pressure measurement (e.g., across a vascular graft)?
No—the RGBP is configured for absolute pressure measurement relative to atmospheric reference; differential applications require two synchronized RGBP channels and post-acquisition subtraction.
What is the recommended sampling rate for capturing arterial waveforms without aliasing?
A minimum of 2 kHz is required to preserve harmonic content up to the 15th order of the fundamental cardiac frequency—consistent with recommendations in IEEE Std 11073-10404-2014 for arterial pressure waveform digitization.
Is technical support available for integration with custom DAQ software?
Yes—Harvard Apparatus provides SDK documentation, BNC pinout schematics, and voltage-to-mmHg scaling coefficients upon request for LabVIEW, Python (PyDAQmx), or C++ development environments.