Upgrading from HVS Image 2013 to 2024 versions:
The latest tracking and analysis system has very significant advantages over earlier ones, and makes useful improvements over even recent versions.
For Morris water maze these include:
- automatic behavior identification
- easier access to detailed, specialist measures and analyses
- further improvements to tracking robustness
- larger video image (almost full screen height)
- post-trial timeout countdown
- large on-screen notification of details for the next trial in a series
- improved view in the analysis window (allowing long trial names to be fully visible and larger numbers of trials to show)
- retention of advanced settings until you change them or reset to default values
- ability to see thigmotaxis band of your chosen proportion on path plots
- full screen path plots
- easy plotting of multiple trials for comparison, with publication quality view and full details
- ability to control the optional Atlantis platform automatically, so that the platform rises either as soon as the subject reaches the target location, or after a dwell time you set
- the option to control third party equipment such as other monitoring equipment you want to synchronize with your tracking data.
In addition it makes very significant advances for other experiments, including Barnes Maze, Dry Water Maze, Open Field, Novel Object Recognition and Multi-arm Mazes.
Upgrading from earlier HVS Image systems, e.g. 2100, 2020 or VP series:
If you are using an earlier HVS Image system such as a 2100, 2020 or VP series system, we strongly recommend that you upgrade as soon as possible. Apart from the advantages listed below, a new system will free you from dependence on hardware that is no longer replaceable. Neither the parts for the Plus module nor the computers to fit them have been available for some years now, so if either your Plus module or your current tracking computer reaches the end of its life part way through an experiment it will not be possible to get replacements.
The new system takes advantage of advances in computer power and high resolution USB cameras to give you many advantages over the older systems, and if you have .hvs raw data files recorded with your old system you’ll be able to analyze these with the new system to benefit from the up to date analysis, path plots etc.
Other advantages of the new system include:
- Much faster data point collection rate, so data can be of higher quality.
- High quality image exports (e.g. path plots), suitable for today’s publication standards.
- Improved multi-plot and multi-path options.
- Larger, higher quality video images, which users say allows them to monitor activity on screen rather than having to view the maze or arena, when they wish to observe manually as well as automatically.
- Improved ease of use in set-up, tracking and analysis.
- Up to date look and feel.
- Ability to calibrate by numerically-defined platform positions (or as before by clicking positions seen on screen, or one click for suggested typical MWM positions).
- Built-in lighting check and automatic setting of tracking threshold.
- Ability to re-run a trial in a series (e.g. if the experimenter makes an error).
- Ability to track pre-recorded videos as well as live trials.
- Wider range of experiments in addition Morris Water Maze, including but not limited to Multi-Arm Mazes, e.g. T Maze, Y Maze, Radial Arm Maze, Elevated Plus Maze, Open Field, Novel Object Recognition, Novelty Suppressed Feeding, New Frontier Exploration, Barnes Maze, Place Preference, Zebrafish Larvae Monitoring, Gait Analysis.
- Use of software for analysis both on the tracking computer and on additional computers (e.g. outside the animal rooms).
- Ability to record video frames via the HVS software so that you can view photos and videos of trials later if required.
- 3D tracking in open field and other rectangular arenas, to provide consistent monitoring of rearing, for example.
- Option for automated Atlantis platform for water maze.
- If there are any special features you would like added either now or later, these can be added to the new system, but not to the old.
- You will also have the same range of definitive Morris water maze analyses as before and can use these with your old data as well as with trials run on your new system.