Digitail™ PRODUCTS & ACCESSORIES

Mouse Tail Vein Injection Restraints

DIGITAIL PRODUCTS

Somark Safety Restraint

Powered by Digitail™, this patented safety restraint is the perfect accessory for preclinical research. Suitable for application beyond the RFID tag injection process, the Somark safety restraint is suitable for mouse vein tail injections (TVI’s) and biopsys.

Discover the durable, easily cleaned and sanitized safety restraint designed by Somark to enable researchers to gain access to the tail of a mouse for mouse tail vein injection and biopsy purposes as well as to insert the Digitail™ Tag for future RFID identification reads throughout the longevity of a study.

Digitail™ Tag Safety Restraints

Somark is also the proud owner of the world’s smallest RFID tag, which entered the market as an innovative RFID tag which mitigates the risks associated with manual and time-consuming glass transponder tags and other ear-related ID methods.

The safety restraint was developed to ensure that the RFID tag, which is injected into the base of a rodent’s tail, is compliant with animal welfare regulations but has since transformed the process of mouse tail vein injection and biopsy applications.

The safety restraint and Digitail RFID tag can be paired to improve the welfare of lab rodents, with the restraint offering the ability to fully observe the rodent throughout the use of the restraint itself.

There is no requirement for handling, regardless of whether the restraint is being used for lab animal identification or for mouse tail vein injections and other tail applications.

Shop Digitail™ Tags & Packages

ANIMAL WELFARE COMPLIANCE

Patented Safety Restraint

The product fully contrains the mouse under the red dome, exposing the entire length of the tail for access without restricting the bodily mobility of the mouse. This mitigates risks of stress and trauma caused by both excessive handling and immobilisation.

The restraint has a built in clamp which can be used to secure either side of the rodents tail for precise genotyping biopsys. The added pressure that the tail grip provides also improves visibility and pronunciation of the tail veins, making access to the lateral veins for injection seamless. It is particularly useful when dealing with albino mice strains such as the BALB/c.

The grippers do put some pressure on the tail to hold it in place, however, the red dome of the restraint darkens the environment for the mouse to keep the rodent calm. This is based on the evidence that mice are less effective at processing the red spectrum.

Partnering this with ventilation slots, a simple enclosure process and smooth surfaces in conjunction with magnets, the Somark safety restraint puts the lab mouse first and ensures a quick and less-distressing process than typically seen in the preclinical research sector.

VERSATILE & FLEXIBLE

Suitable for High-Throughput TVIs

The Somark safety restraint has been a patented design for over a decade, used by laboratories and research institutes across the globe.

The most common method of conducting tail biopsy involves the removal of 0.25cm – 0.5cm of the flesh tip of the tail, in order to conduct genetic analysis to assess the success of inherited human genes.

With Technicians operating with the mouse for as little as 10 seconds, any restraint used for tail biopsy, as well as TVIs, must allow for quick loading in order to achieve a high throughput. With our restraint, you can simply place the mouse on the paddle, place the dome enclosure over the subject and then adjust the tail grippers into position.

Quick and easy to use

No expert knowledge required, training is simple and Labstamp users will find this very familiar!

Durable, one size fits all restraint

The restraint was developed to cater to the varying sizes of mouse and to suit a variety of research purposes.

Compatible with Digitail™

Quick and easy to apply our RFID tag, which is the smallest in the world, into the base of the tail.

Laboratory animal handling

Mouse Restraint

The welfare, safety and health of a laboratory rodent is reliant on the proper handling and restraint of the mice or rats. This is a requirement of many animal welfare bodies across the globe and can be upheld and managed through extensive training, standard operating procedures and the effective use of the right equipment including mouse restraints.

Somark is here to facilitate efficient and accurate preclinical research data. Data integrity can often be at risk when lab mice are not handled and restrained properly. This is why we offer our patented safety restraint as a standalone product; to ensure researchers can access a mouse restraint device which safely immobilises the mouse without causing severe anxiety or stress. The device we offer also mitigates excessive handling during many research applications and processes.

We recognise that it is our duty to ensure the well-being of research rodents throughout the duration of their study. With this comes the need for an effective, yet stress-free restraint process.

Other restraint options on the market typically involve forcing the rodent into a confined tube, to give priority access to the tail on the outer of the tube. We want to minimise the risk of trauma and stress this mouse restraint option can cause, along with the excessive handling that accompanies the process.

Through the use of the Somark mouse restraint, you can enclose the mouse, whilst still providing substantial body movement. The red dome is also a calming environment and plays to the mouse’s inability to see the red spectrum clearly.

The mouse restraint is the first step in revolutionising the way that preclinical mouse management is conducted.

Regardless of whether you’re conducting mouse tail vein injections as part of drug dosing, gathering a tail sample during genetic analysis, or even performing rarer procedures such as tail artery blood sampling, this mouse restraint has many features catered to your study field.