Software for Food Intake Monitor and Controller, FDM (Ver2.03 or later)
Feedam, Feedam-PF
- * Pair-feeding is an experimental method in which food intake or energy intake are limited to become same between two animal groups. In the previous manual protocol, the intake would be monitored in control one day and tomorrow the same amounts would be given in a pair-fed group. FDM automated such manual potocol. The food intake would become same when the pair-fed animals finished all foods, which might not be achieved. The intake time of the pair-fed group is not same as that of control because of voluntary intake. However, we can make intake pattern in the pair-fed closer to control by setting feeding time in the both groups.
o Software controling FDM (Ver2.03 or later), Food Intake Monitor and Controller in mice and rats.
o The program can work on WINDOWS XP and once continue until 90 days at the maximum.
o It can get two food intake data from Double Monitor (FDM-W) having two weight sensors.
o It can control a pair-feeding protocol* (Feedam-PF).
Main Features
- o Feedam can control multiple FDM (max. 100) connected with Ether network.
- o Feeding time (an electric shutter opens and animals can eat foods) can be set up to 10 times a day.
- o A food weight that mice and rats can eat at the maximum can be set in each feeding time.
- o You can set the daily different feeding time and the food weight by a schedule setting.
- o A weight datum of a food box is taken by every preset time (1 min. or more) and a decrease in the weight is calculated as food intake.
- o When weight sensor is unstable due to animal contact, vibration of a whole device, and so on, data are not send to PC and only stable data just before the unstable data are taken into the PC and recorded in a datum file as "unstable".
- o Data from auxiliary sensor input can be taken simultaneously up to 4 channels.
- o Food intake can be shown as a daily amount or summation in the feeding time.
- o Data of food intake and the auxiliary sensor can be also graphically presented.
- o Data are exported as a csv file (text).
Pair-feeding Mode (Feedam-PF)
FDM measures food intake in control for 1 day and limits food intake in pair-fed animals (rats or mice) on the next day to become same as the control intake by closing an electrical shutter.
- o You can use a pair-feed constant which limits the intake in a pair-fed group as a relative amount, e.g. 80%, of foods consumed in control.
- o A mean intake from multiple animals can be se as control.
- o You can limit food intake, feeding time and maximum weight, in the control groups. If you set feeding time every 3 hours a day, food intake in the pair-fed group is limited based on the control intake for 3 hours yesterday.
Actogram (Food Intake in a Rat, Dark Period 6:00-18:00)
- o Sensor data can be also presented as an actogaram.
- o Circadian rhythm of activity obtained with an activity sensor is easily shown (an example actogram).
- o Food intake and sensor data in all channels are presented as a vertical bar and lines, respectively, in a basic graph. Data are plotted in one row up to 14 days from the beginning that can be set.
