EPR-800 Electrophysiology Catheter
For Animal Use Only

	The EPR-800 electrophysiology catheter is the latest addition to Millar’s line of ultra-miniature catheters for use in transgenic mouse research. At only 1.1F (0.36 mm), this sturdy, ultra-miniature and reusable eight-electrode catheter lends itself to use with transgenic mice as small as 2.5 grams. EP Introduction Sites EPR-800 Applications System Hardware and Software Standard Parameters Catheter Specifications Interface Cables
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EP Packages Available

The publication of the entire mouse genome has opened up a world of possibilities for the small animal researcher. The transgenic mouse is a perfect model for duplicating and reproducing genetic cardiac abnormalities that are similar to those occurring in humans, such as cardiomyopathy and heart failure. With these endeavors, researchers are able to manipulate the genetic codes of the mouse in an effort to possibly alter the genes that cause heart abnormalities.

Theoretically, researchers then can make correlations between human and mouse genetic code in the continuous effort to battle heart disease.

Just as pressure, volume, and other hemodynamic parameters are essential to the diagnosis of various cardiac diseases, electrophysiology studies are a proven method for characterizing the electrical phenotype of transgenic mice, as well as for determining and diagnosing various detrimental heart conditions.

EP Introduction Sites
The ultra-miniature size of the EPR-800 catheter allows it to be introduced invasively or minimally invasively to various sites of the animal, including:

• Jugular vein for placement inside the right atrium and right ventricle
• Esophagus for placement next to the heart
• Carotid artery for placement inside the left ventricle

The EPR-800 catheter can be used for invasive intracardiac electrophysiology studies in mice as young as five days old, and in even younger mice following minimally invasive transesophageal electrophysiology studies.

EPR-800 Applications
Standard electrophysiology studies are performed with the EPR-800 catheter by applying pacing and recording protocols from inside the heart or through the esophagus to determine electrical properties of the atrium and the ventricle. Programmed electrical stimulation is also applied through the catheter for induction of abnormal heartbeats.

The following transesophageal recording was taken from a mouse weighing 4 grams, and the intracardiac recording was taken from a mouse weighing 22 grams. Both transesophageal and intracardiac bipolar electrograms were recorded using the EPR-800 catheter, with the distal pair of electrodes predominantly recording ventricular electrical activity and the proximal pair recording atrial activity.



     
Transesophageal electrograms      Intracardiac electrograms


System Hardware and Software
The EPR-800 catheter is designed to connect to commercially available amplifiers, stimulators and data acquisition hardware. Many of the manufacturers also supply the necessary software to acquire, store and analyze information from the EPR-800 electrophysiology catheter.

Millar offers the Multichannel Systems Stimulator/Amplifier. The stimulus generator features extremely flexible stimulation with monophasic or biphasic current or voltage waveforms. Pulse duration, amplitude, and interval are programmable with easy to use software. STG Stimulator Brochure


Standard Parameters Determined via the EPR-800 Catheter

• Conduction times
• Refractory periods
• His potentials
• Sinus and atrioventricular nodal properties
• Inducibility of abnormal heartbeats

* Click to link to specific model photo and information.

Interface Cable Ordering Information

Beyond Electrophysiology
The Millar Pressure-Volume Systems (MPVS) simultaneously and continuously measures high-fidelity left ventricular pressure and relative volume from the intact beating hearts of small laboratory animals such as transgenic mice and rats. These systems are composed of data acquisition hardware and software, as well as Millar's PVAN data analysis software and 1.4F P-V catheters.