Feeder Feeder
Feeder is a custom-manufactured demand fluid delivery system for studies of animal behavior. It can deliver one or two types of fluid to multiple feeding stations in one or more rooms.
The Feeder system consists of multiple feeding stations in one or more rooms. Each feeding station has an AVID detector that can detect an identification chip attached to or injected into the subjects of the study, and send an identification number to the computer. Each station has one or two feeding nozzles to deliver fluids to the subject. When a subject is detected at a feeding station, the computer turns on the feed valve(s) to permit the subject to drink. When the subject leaves the station, the valve is turned off and the amount of fluid consumed is recorded in the study file. The two-fluid Feeder system records the volume of each of two fluids that are consumed by the subject.
The study file contains the information for an experimental study. A study consists of a set of sessions, and a session consists of a set of trials. The study file stores the room number of the study, the names and AVID identification numbers of the subjects in the study, the number of trials per session, the duration of a trial, and consumption data acquired in each trial.
Feeder and Score were derived from the same source code and as such, are very similar to use.
The study window permits the user to view the study data on the trial level. A scrollbar at the bottom of the window is used to select the trial. The number of times each subject came to a feeding station and the volume of fluid it consumed during one trial is displayed.
Session # shows the session number of the displayed trial.
Trial # shows which trial is being displayed. All of the following data belong to this trial.
Elapsed time shows how much time has elapsed in acquiring the current trial.
Remaining time is the amount of time remaining while acquiring this trial. This number is zero when the trial is completed. Feeder automatically starts new trials until a session is completed.
Sim1 ... Sim5 are the user-defined subject names. The fields that follow each subject name show the number of feeding events and the total volume consumed by that subject during the trial.
The Start button starts the acquisition of a session. Volume of alcohol consumed during the period of several trials is stored in the Study window. The Study Information dialog box specifies the duration of trial and session.
The Monitor window shows the state of the hardware that controls the fluid dispensing system.
Each row describes a feeding station. Feeding stations can be in different
rooms. When a Study is in progress, it is attached to all the feeders in
the room assigned to that study. Multiple studies can be in progress at
the same time.
Acknowlegements for the Feeder program.
Written for Dr. Dee Higley, NIAAA, NIH (Poolesville, MD).
Designed by Larry Woltz, Dawn Gregory and Jim Nash.
Written in C++ by Larry Woltz and Dawn Gregory.
Feeder is based on the application Score. Feeder is designed to work closely with Score and will eventually share data with it.
