The Basile Analgesy-Meter has been designed to perform rapid precise screening of an-algesic drugs on the normal and inflamed rat paw, according to the Randall-Selitto test.
The instrument is basically a device which exerts a force increasing at a constant rate (a certain number of grams per second). This force is continuously monitored by a pointer moving along a linear scale.
The force is applied to the animal’s paw, which is placed on a small plinth under a cone-shaped pusher with a rounded tip. The plinth is made of TEFLON, which is biologically inert and has a very low friction coefficient. Thus, if the animal suddenly withdraws its paw, it slips out easily without being injured.
The operator depresses a pedal-switch to start the mechanism which exerts the force.
When the rat struggles, the operator releases the pedal and reads off the scale the force at which the animal felt pain.