Tail Injection

We offer unique injection cones and light arcs for tail injections for rodents which are manufactured by our professional team with high-quality materials, which guarantees a product with great durability.

They are an extremely useful tool for large quantity samplings and their unique design allows an efficient positioning of tailed rodent for maximum results.

Our injection cones are an essential tool for any researcher that aims for efficiency and high speed in tail vein injections.

The completely transparent design of our injection cones provides a complete vision of the animal, and its four suction cup feet secure the unit firmly to the countertop.

The rodent is held secure in the clear plastic cone and the researcher can realize the procedure with maximum efficiency, limiting the chances of stressing the animal.

We offer our injection cones for mouse and rat and we have a unit that posses a bright light illumination system for optimal results.

Advancements in biomedical and pharmacological research necessitate the use of intravenous or I.V. injections, the primary choice for parenteral administration of particular drugs or substances for experimental analysis and examination. I.V. injections are highly advantageous methods because they ensure quick and complete bioavailability of the drug candidate in blood circulation (Messer, 2015). In rodents, intravenous injections are usually done through the lateral tail veins. Vein visibility, however, is a crucial factor in successful I.V. procedures and is often a concern particularly for black rodent strains. The illumination devices have become essential in effectively discerning target veins in the rodent tail.

The light arc (Messer, 2015) is a novel device that aids in drug administration procedures through intravenous injections among black strains of rodents. The black strains of rodents have darker tails, making it difficult in spotting the caudal vein due to poor color contrast. The light arc succeeds in addressing this issue through a uniform 180-degree illumination design around the rodent’s tail, perched atop a flat base connected to a power source and equipped with a Broome style handler horizontally-positioned at the center of the structure. The illumination in laboratory rooms or the use of an ordinary desk lamp proves inadequate in discerning the rodent’s lateral veins as these lighting setups cause confusing reflections on the rodent’s tail.

Prior to metabolic cage utilization, rodents may first be typically housed in normal cages before being transferred to metabolic cages. Once individually-housed in metabolic cages, fecal pellets and urine are collected after a prescribed amount of time and immediately stored and refrigerated before analysis. The samples are weighed at the time of collection, whereas the subjects are weighed daily and after every sampling occasion (Eriksson et al., 2004).

The first step in intravenous injection procedures is determining the exact volume of drug substances to be administered, depending on the animal’s weight. The RGB light contrasts are then adjusted to meet the optimal contrast of the lateral caudal veins. Once the light arc setup is ready, the syringe is prepared and filled with the drug substance. Air bubbles must be removed. Importantly, the drug injection must be of moderate temperature, as administering large quantities of the cold solution may cause hypothermia and alter the efficacy of the drug under consideration.

Once everything is set, the rodent is then placed into the Broome handler. It is important to follow proper handling techniques when using restraint devices, as even minimal handling can cause considerable distress to the animal. (Refer to Broome handler’s protocol section for detailed instructions). Afterwards, the rodent’s tail is submerged in a warm water bath set at 42 degrees Celsius for an approximate duration of 40 to 45 seconds for vasodilation. A beaker must be placed in the water bath for urine and feces collection. Warming up the rodent’s body by using heat lamps may also be an efficient option, but takes longer and carries the risk of heat stroke.

The tail is afterward dried, and either of the lateral caudal veins is then located under the illumination of the light arc. Once a caudal vein is spotted, the tail is held with the thumb of one hand, and the needle is gently inserted with the dominant hand. The needle must be parallel to the vein and should not be penetrated more than 6 to 7 mm inside. The experimenter must not attempt to extract the blood back into the needle, as this may cause the vein to rupture.

The plunger must be pressed gently and slowly, and if the experimenter feels resistance or notices a lump, he/she must immediately stop, retract the needle, and re-insert it approximately 1 to 2 cm above the same vein. Once the injection is completed, the experimenter must cover the injection site with a swab before the needle is retracted to limit excess blood and drug loss. The swab must be kept pressed until the rodent is removed from the Broome handler. Afterward, if the restrainer is reused, it should be rinsed with a sufficient amount of water before it is replaced in the light arc structure for the next rodent injection.

Intravenous injections in transgenic mice and other experimental animals have been an integral development in biomedical and pharmacological research. These commonly involve the parenteral administration of large molecules, conveniently routed through the rodent’s lateral tail veins. The black strains of rodents present a challenge when it comes to making use of tail injections, with vein visibility a considerable concern due to poor vein contrast. The light arc apparatus is a necessity in providing sufficient and appropriate illumination to the rodent’s tail, resulting in successful I.V. injections. These intravenous procedures are commonly carried out in experiments that aim to examine and analyze different drug substances and their effects on animal behavior and physiology.

Messer, Juerg. (2015). Improving intravenous injection in black mice.