When calibrating the volume of small animal PV catheters, you'll use one of two cuvette models: the 910-1048 (11 wells) or the 910-1049 (6 wells).
It's crucial to understand that you cannot use generic well volumes for calibration. The volume measured in a dip-well cuvette depends on your specific catheter and cuvette model. This is because the electrode spacing on your catheter directly impacts the absolute volume it measures within each well.
Catheters with smaller electrode spacing will measure less of a well's volume than those with larger spacing. For example, see below how the PVR-1035 compares to the PVR-1045 using the 910-1049 Mouse Cuvette.
PVR-1035 = 11 µL
PVR-1045 = 14.14 µL
As you can see, assuming the same volume for both catheters would lead to an incorrect volume calibration.
Always use the known volumes specific to your catheter and cuvette model.
Important Considerations
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Ensure the well contains enough blood to cover both pairs of electrodes fully.
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Volume cards with specific known volumes are available:
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If you're using the ADInstruments PV Loop Module for LabChart 7 or higher, it includes settings files that pre-populate the known volumes for each small animal catheter type directly into the Calibration Dialogue, simplifying the process.
For further technical assistance with this or any other issue, please contact ADInstruments Technical Support by clicking HERE.