D501 Temperature Monitor

New Product Launch

D501 Isolated Temperature Monitor

The NEW Digitimer D501 Isolated Temperature Monitor was recently developed for use with QtracW software when monitoring human body temperature during axonal excitability measurements.  Data obtained from in vivo physiological studies are highly temperature dependent, and because a QtracW protocol can take 10-15 minutes to complete any changes in body temperature will be reflected in the recorded responses.  By recording skin temperature alongside excitability measurements, temperature changes can be checked for significant shifts during a recording.

The ability to continuously record temperature alongside excitability data also means that research studies specifically intended to examine the effect of cooling or heating are more easily accomplished.

Although the D501 has been developed primarily for use with QtracW in excitability studies, the simple USB interface means it could easily be used with other software programs for continuous physiological temperature monitoring.

D501 Isolated Temperature Monitor

A Solution for Continuous Temperature Monitoring in Excitability Studies

Nerve excitability measurements, particularly components of the recovery cycle are highly temperature-dependent (1), and as it is not particularly easy to accurately control nerve temperature (2), a reliable method of temperature monitoring is advised.  This allows users to compare recordings across experimental groups of subjects with a point of reference in respect of temperature.  Temperature correction factors may also be employed to compensate for inter-operator variations (3).

Our new D501 Isolated Temperature Monitor allows users of the QtracS program to measure and display instantaneous temperature with each stimulus and record this temperature alongside other data.  QtracP has also been updated to provide automatic addition of protocol-specific temperatures as EXTRA VARIABLES for every component of a TRNDNF recording.  Note that this new software requires use of the lastest versions of QtracS (2024-03-03) and QtracP (2024-03-18).  These are available from the QtracW Dropbox folder.

References

1. Kiernan MC, Cikurel K, Bostock H. (2001) Effects of temperature on the excitability properties of human motor axons. Brain 124, 816-825. [link]
2. Kovalchuk MO, Franssen H, Scheijmans FEV, van Schelven LJ, van den Berg, LH, Sleutjes BTHM. (2019) Warming nerves for excitability testing. Muscle Nerve 60, 279-285. [link]
3. Tomlinson S, Burke D, Hanna M, Koltzenburg M & Bostock H. (2010). In vivo assessment of HCN channel current (I(h)) in human motor axons. Muscle Nerve 41, 247-56. [link]

Designed for Safe Use in Human Research Studies

The D501 is supplied with a USB cable and a compact, 5mm diameter, cable-mounted flat thermistor, which is easily attached to the skin, either using micropore tape or by placing it under a self-adhesive stimulating electrode.  Please note that while the D501 has been designed to provide medical device-compliant levels of isolation, it is NOT a certified medical device and is marketed specifically for human research applications.

 

D501-PROBE Temperature Probe

QtracW Compatiblity

The most recent versions of QtracW software (since July 2024) are fully compatible with the D501, allowing temperature data to be stored alongside electrophysiological responses, as illustrated here.

Image 1 – Is a recording made in conjunction with the D501 Temperature Monitor, kindly provided by Prof. Martin Koltzenburg (University College London), of two TRONDNF protocols, one cool, one after warming.

Image 2 – The temperature is plotted against elapsed time by V..@, and the temperature at a specific time by Temp at the bottom of the second data box on the right. Clicking on ‘MEM/Create MEM file’ compares the two recordings.

Image 3 – By default, the latest of the two repeats is used for the MEM file, which has the temperatures of the different protocols added as EXTRA VARIABLES, as shown. To confine analysis to the first TROND recording, you can now simply limit the display to the first with e.g. in this case DE20.

N.B. The times at which the temperatures were recorded are given with the relevant waveform data, e.g. in this case: RECOVERY CYCLE DATA (7.5-11.1m)

Want to find out more?

Following a period of extensive testing and successful trials at the recent Aarhus Excitability workshop, the D501 was formally released for sale in July 2024 and we now have limited stock ready to ship.  Please contact Digitimer or your local representative.  You can even purchase via our website!

Aarhus excitability workshop