Instruction manual

SI-H Muscle Testers

WORLD PRECISION IN STRU MENTS

Conﬁ guration Buttons–The Display button is used to toggle the display between Channel

1 temperature, Channel 2 temperature and both. The Setup button rotates through the

array of conﬁ gurable parameters. The Up and Down buttons are used to adjust the

parameters.

Cuvette Connections–Use these ports to connect SI-H cuvettes used with the SI-MT and

SI-MKB platforms.

SI-COLUB

The SI-COLUB Constant Load Module can be used in one of three different modes. In

its primary mode (Constant Load), the unit can perform constant load experiments. In its

primary mode (Constant Load) the unit takes an external trigger command from the force

transducer to perform a constant load cycle. In addition, the module allows for a different

external trigger, or you can completely bypass the module without having to switch

cabling.

The SI-COLUB Constant Load Module can be used to maintain a constant force on a

muscle, muscle length or sarcomere length rather than the constant length of the muscle

preparation. This is accomplished using a feedback loop. The SI-COLUB is set to monitor

a speciﬁ c parameter, like force or sarcomere length, and it uses that value to create a

motor position control signal that adjusts the position of the motor. The SI-COLUB also

receives a feedback signal that it uses to create control signals that constantly adjust the

position of the motor until the commanded setpoint is reached.

Through MDAC software, the LabTrax 8/16 can be programmed to create position,

stimulation, and command protocols for muscle experiments. In simple experiments,

the protocols would move the motor to stretch or release a muscle and stimulate it to

contract. In more complex experiments, MDAC and the LabTrax 8/16 might be used to

control a module like the SI-COLUB Constant Load Module that monitors the load on the

muscle or the length of its sarcomeres.

Pulse Train from LabTrax 8/16

Force

Force Output of the Tissue Sample

Slack Period Restretch

Isometric Force

Develo

ment

kF0

Voltage

Fig. 17 The digital output from the LabTrax 8/16 data acquisition unit sends a capture

command to the SI-COLUB to slack or restretch the muscle as it is maintained under load.