title: RFID Technology for Continuous Monitoring of Physiological Signals in Small Animals.
abstract: Telemetry systems enable researchers to continuously monitor physiological signals in unrestrained, freely moving small rodents. Drawbacks of common systems are limited operation time, the need to house the animals separately, and the necessity of a stable communication link. Furthermore, the costs of the typically proprietary telemetry systems reduce the acceptance. The aim of this paper is to introduce a low-cost telemetry system based on common radio frequency identification technology optimized for battery-independent operational time, good reusability, and flexibility. The presented implant is equipped with sensors to measure electrocardiogram, arterial blood pressure, and body temperature. The biological signals are transmitted as digital data streams. The device is able of monitoring several freely moving animals housed in groups with a single reader station. The modular concept of the system significantly reduces the costs to monitor multiple physiological functions and refining procedures in preclinical research.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gorbey
authors.forename: Mayukh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.forename: Waldemar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gruenwald
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lemmer
authors.forename: Leonhard M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Reindl
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Stieglitz
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jansen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000295:instrumentation; D003199:Computer Systems; D011211:Electric Power Supplies / Q000662:veterinary; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000662:veterinary*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D057233:Radio Frequency Identification Device; D051381:Rats; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018511:Systems Integration; D013686:Telemetry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000662:veterinary*