Slip Rings for Medical Research

Mercotac® Brushless Slip Rings have established themselves as the top choice in diverse industries, including psychiatry, psychology, and medical research.

Their advantages include reduced wire breakage risk, unlimited 360 degree rotation, long-lasting performance without maintenance, low resistance, and the capability to handle power and data signals through a compact brushless slip ring design.

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Mercotac Brushless Slip Rings have been used for decades in psychiatry, psychology, and medical research. One use of our slip rings involves utilizing research rats. Some examples of research that has been done includes: cognitive function, behavioral effects, stimulation reward, regional heterogeneity, electrical stimulation, and medical drug R&D. To facilitate this type of research, electrodes are attached to or implanted into the rats’ head and then wires are used to send signals back for monitoring. To prevent twisting, the wires are plugged into the rats’ electrodes and routed through a Mercotac Rotating Brushless Slip Ring suspended above a testing area. Types of wires used include: microphone cable, spring-coated cable, spring-protected cable, and multi-channel wire. Some research papers refer to our brushless slip ring as “Mercotac™ swivels” or “Mercotac™ Commutators” and note that they are well suited for these applications because they provide uninhibited motion for the rats. Mercotac™ slip rings also allow for sufficient amperage in applying quiescent current, infusion current between electrodes, and sine-wave stimulation. An example methodology is to use a constant current generator delivering between a few micro-Amps to a couple of hundred milli-Amps. Since just two lead wires are often needed, a two conductor Mercotac™ Model 205 is frequently used for this application. Many other Mercotac™ Models could be used depending on the number of channels needed. For example, a Mercotac™ Model 630 could be used for an application involving multi-channel brain-stimulation that needs up to 6 signals.

Related Articles & References:
Rotational Mercotac™ units allow for free movement of rats in test area, while ensuring a clean electrical signal; Brain waveforms monitored; Stereotypical rat behavioral threshold observed; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester; Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo; Cholecystokinin modulates mesolimbic dopaminergic influences on male rat copulatory behavior

Wire lead twisting prevented; Mercotac™ unit facilitated a two-wire lead connected to the output of a stimulating circuit and suspended above a maze by an elastic band and attached to rats’ electrodes; Department of Psychology at McGill University; Simulation characteristics of the neural network subserving self-stimulation reward

Sine-wave and constant current brain stimulation through electrode leads were facilitated through a suspended 6 channel programmable Mercotac™ Model 630; Department of Psychology and Division of Neurological Sciences; Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia. Article title: Amphetamine-like stimulus properties produced by electrical stimulation of reward sites in the ventral tegmental area

A Mercotac™ swivel connected by a spring-coated cable was used to deliver constant quiescent and infusion current between electrodes; Institute of Psychiatric Research; Indiana University School of Medicine. Article title: The Reinforcing Properties of Salsolinol in the Ventral Tegmental Area: Evidence for Regional Heterogeneity and the Involvement of Serotonin and Dopamine

A Mercotac™ swivel connected by a spring-coated cable was used to deliver constant quiescent and infusion current between electrodes; Institute of Psychiatric Research; Indiana School of Medicine; Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutic Intracranial Self-Administration of Cocaine within the Posterior Ventral Tegmental Area of Wistar Rats: Evidence for Involvement of Serotonin-3 Receptors and Dopamine Neuron

A Mercotac™ swivel connected by a spring-coated cable was used to deliver constant quiescent and infusion current between electrodes; Department of Psychiatry at Indiana University School of Medicine; Department of Psychology at Purdue School of Science Role of Dopamine D1 and D2 Receptors in the Nucleus Accumbens in Mediating Reward