Open source pressure myography
The VasoTracker pressure myograph system allows you to assess the physiological function of small arteries, veins and other vessels. With this myograph and our free blood vessel diameter tracking software, you can track blood vessel diameter responses to mechanical or pharmacological stimulation in real time. The VasoTracker system can be used to investigate: endothelial-dependent dilation; smooth muscle cell contraction; pressure-induced (myogenic) responses; flow-mediated responses; and blood vessel morphology (e.g. wall thickness).
The VasoTracker myograph was designed in a vascular physiology lab with a keen interest in how the endothelium regulates blood vessel function. The system is inexpensive, open source. The complete system has everything you need to experiment on pressurized blood vessels: a heated vessel chamber, a temperature controller, pressure columns, a pressure monitor, a microscope, a camera, and a computer. Soon, we will be adding a pressure servo system with peristaltic pump. We are also working on instructions for modifying a <£100 open source microscope for VasoTracker. Visit our GitHub repository for a list of required components, and instructions on how to build your own pressure myograph, .
Key features of the VasoTracker pressure myograph
-
-
- A complete pressure myograph system for less than 10% of the cost of commercial alternatives.
- Vessel chamber (with built-in heating element & magnetic perfusion plumbing holders).
- Open source Arduino temperature controller.
- Open source Arduino pressure monitor.
- Wide field-of-view imaging with the recommended Thorlabs USB camera (use with blood vessels ranging from < 100 μm to ~1.5 mm diameter)
- Designed for use with our open source blood vessel diameter tracking software open source blood vessel diameter tracking software.
- Use with your own microscope or with the recommended inverted (Nikon Eclipse Ts2) or upright (AmScope T610D) microscope.
- Get the complete system, including the T610D microscope, computer, and Thorlabs camera, for less than £4000!
-