Key Benefits
- Reduced animal stress — automated collection eliminates manual restraint and handling, improving animal welfare and data quality
- Programmable time points — schedule blood collections at precise intervals from minutes to hours, including overnight and weekend sampling
- Improved data consistency — standardised collection technique reduces inter-sample variability caused by manual handling differences
- Multi-animal capability — ABS Rack System supports parallel sampling from multiple animals in a single study
Overview
The Instech ABS2 is an automated blood sampling system that collects blood from freely-moving laboratory animals at programmable time points. By eliminating manual handling during sample collection, the ABS2 reduces animal stress, minimises sample variability, and enables round-the-clock collection schedules that would be impractical with manual methods.
The system supports mice, rats, and large animals and is compatible with Greiner MiniCollect blood collection tubes. The ABS Rack System enables multi-animal studies with centralised sample management. A specialised PET imaging configuration is also available for studies requiring blood sampling during positron emission tomography scans.
Key Features
- Programmable blood collection at user-defined time points
- Compatible with mice, rats, and large animal species
- ABS Rack System for multi-animal parallel sampling studies
- Compatible with Greiner MiniCollect blood collection tubes
- Specialised PET imaging configuration for concurrent blood sampling and scanning
- Automated catheter flushing between samples to maintain patency
- Refrigerated sample storage module to preserve sample integrity
- Software interface for protocol programming and data export
- Compatible with Instech vascular catheters and VAB systems
Typical Applications
- Pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic blood sampling
- Bioanalysis and biomarker discovery
- Metabolic research and glucose monitoring
- PET imaging with concurrent blood sampling
- Serial blood sampling in chronic studies
- Circadian rhythm and overnight sampling studies
Specifications
| Species | Mice, rats, large animals |
|---|---|
| Sample Tubes | Greiner MiniCollect compatible |
| Sample Capacity | Up to 30 samples per animal per run (model-dependent) |
| Minimum Sample Volume | 10 µL (mouse configuration) |
| Time Point Accuracy | ±1 second |
| Sample Storage | Refrigerated module (4°C) |
| Software | ABS2 control and data logging software |
| Power | 100–240 VAC, 50/60 Hz |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does automated blood sampling reduce animal stress?
The ABS2 collects blood through an indwelling vascular catheter without restraining or handling the animal. The animal remains freely moving in its home cage throughout the sampling protocol, which significantly reduces stress-related effects on blood parameters.
Can I sample from multiple animals simultaneously?
Yes, the ABS Rack System enables parallel blood sampling from multiple animals with centralised sample collection and management, making it suitable for large PK and toxicology studies.
What is the PET imaging configuration?
The PET imaging configuration is a specialised setup that allows the ABS2 to collect blood samples from an animal while it is undergoing a positron emission tomography scan, enabling time-matched blood and imaging data.
What sample tubes are compatible?
The ABS2 is designed to work with Greiner MiniCollect blood collection tubes, which are available in various anticoagulant and separator configurations for different analytical requirements.
How small a blood sample can the ABS2 collect?
In the mouse configuration, the ABS2 can collect samples as small as 10 µL, which is critical for serial sampling from mice where total blood volume limits the number and size of samples.