FED3.1
FED3.1
SKU: OEPS-7505 (Kit)
SKU: OEPS-7510 (Assembled)
FED3.1 is a pellet-dispensing device for training mice on operant tasks. For an introductory video, click here.
To maximize flexibility, FED3.1 is open-source, compact, and wireless, so it can be placed in the home cage. It has a rechargeable battery that lasts about a week between charges. The top lid is transparent to monitor the amount of available pellets. The FED3.1 includes a built-in screen used to provide real-time feedback to the experimenter.
This is the new FED3.1, an enhanced version of the popular FED3.
New features (check the yellow arrows on pictures):
Two extra LEDs (RGBW) inside the pokes, that can be used for animal cues.
Audio instead of BNC connector. This connector is smaller, and cables are more flexible, reducing the space taken up by the FED. You can acquire an audio-to-BNC adapter here.
New, handy location of the battery connector, to make it easier to replace the rechargeable internal battery.
FED3.1 is currently being distributed as either:
A “print-your-own” Electronic Kit (you will need to provide the 3D parts, screws, and nuts but the kit contains everything else, see below for list).
Fully Assembled: a fully tested functional device.
The “print-your-own” Electronic kit contains:
1x Assembled PCB with display
1x Feather M0 (flashed and with an enhanced customized charger circuit)
1x Stepper motor
1x 4400 mAh battery
1x Coin cell battery
1x Micro SD card
This device requires additional components to operate. Please check the device connectivity list to purchase any cables, tethers and power supplies you might need.
If you need a formal quote and/or prefer bank transfer as the payment method, please contact us via e-mail.
More info about FED3
A quick-start instructions can be found here. Very handy once you have the device ready to go.
FED3 was designed with experimental flexibility in mind, to allow researchers to train and test mice wherever they'd like - in dedicated chambers, in home cages, or even inside of other scientific equipment.
Mice interact with FED3 through two nose-pokes, and FED3 responds with visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and pellets.
FED3 also includes a BNC output jack for time-stamping behavior in ephys recordings and controlling lasers for optogenetic stimulation.
A built-in screen provides real-time feedback to the experimenter, and all behavioral events are time-stamped and written to an on-board microSD card for later analysis.
The charging of the FED3 is made using a microUSB cable.
While FED3 supports custom programs, it ships with the following programs so you can start training right away:
- Fixed-Ratio 1, 3, and 5
- Progressive Ratio
- Extinction
- Light tracking
- Optogenetic self-stimulation
- Free-feeding
- Time-restricted feeding
Pellet information
Pellets used with FED3 should be 20mg in size. Smaller than this will likely not be detected by the pellet well, and larger may not fit through the dispensing mechanism.
You can find more information here.
Authorship
FED3 was designed by:
- Lex Kravitz (Washington University)
- Mohamed Ali (University of Maryland)
- Katrina Nguyen (Carnegie Mellon)
- Filipe Carvalho (Open Ephys Production Site)
It was programmed in the Arduino IDE and uses parts and related code from Adafruit.
Publications that used FED
London et al., (J Neuroscience, 2018) synchronized FED with electrophysiological recordings in the nucleus accumbens to look at spiking around feeding.
Li et al., (Cell Metabolism, 2018) used FED to measure food intake while manipulating subpopulations of hypothalamic neurons.
Burnett et al., (eLife, 2019) used FED to measure the interactions between food intake and other behaviors.
Vachez et al., used FED3 to control optogenetic stimulation in an operant self-stimulation assay.
Briefly et al., used the original FED1 device to measure food intake.
Mazzone et al., used FED3 to pair food intake with dopamine neuron stimulation, changing the reinforcing value of food.
Rodriguez et al , used multiple FED3s in a preference assay.
Matikainen-Ankney et al, used FED3 to measure food seeking in mice after weight loss.
Design files, source code and community:
Files and source code can be found here.
And the Google Group here.