ADInstruments Blog

The work of the psychophysiology group at the University of NSW highlights the many facets of psychophysiological research and reiterates the inherent relationship between psychological processes and physiological systems of the human body. Leading the group is Associate Professor Ute Vollmer-Conna, a brilliant researcher and colourful character whose early-career milestones included shepherding and carpentry.

PhD student Sam Clayman, with Assoc. Prof. Frank Seebacher from the Integrated Physiology Group at University of Sydney (Australia), have been using PowerLab systems to investigate the physiological differences in muscle characteristics between two populations of marine snails.

An international team of scientists are using PowerLab systems to help develop and assess Synchrotron Radiation Computed Tomography (SRCT) techniques for studying lung ventilation distribution. Their techniques may enhance understanding of asthma disease mechanisms, and improve drug treatments and delivery.

Using PowerLab systems, Dr. Maureen McDonald, from McMaster University in Canada is researching more realistic (but equally effective) methods for healthy individuals to adhere to a new exercise recommendation of 60-90 minutes per day. Dr. McDonald’s PhD student is investigating the effects of different exercise bursts with different durations for the treatment of individuals with cardiovascular disease.

Veterinary students at the University of Copenhagen are learning how to better understand, diagnose and treat digestive problems in their future cattle patients by using PowerLab with LabChart software to observe the rumen motility of Jersey cows.

TeamTermin, led by its founder Budd Termin is currently working with ADInstruments to bring the latest in performance testing for the sport of swimming by combining the late Dr Al Craig’s velocity swim meter with ADInstruments PowerLab data acquisition system and the LabChart Video Capture module.

5050 m above sea level, 730 kg of experimental equipment carried by 19 porters, 7000 L of cylinder gases, 53 sleep studies, 107 ventilatory response tests, 107 arterial blood samples, 720 transcranial magnetic stimulation zaps, 200 cardiac echos, 18 hours of hyperventilation, 20 L of infused saline, 8 life-saving intramuscular Dexamethasone injections and 1,042,800,000 sampling data points.

A group of twenty talented middle school students recently explored physiological concepts using PowerLab systems with LabTutor Software at a two week residential program that is held annually at Michigan State University (MSU). The Program was so successful that there are plans to include LabTutor experiments in future years.

Successful company founder, Dr. Kengatharan began using PowerLab systems fifteen years ago while completing his doctorate studies at London University, UK with Nobel laureate Sir John Vane. Dr. Kengatharan has continued to use PowerLab to expedite his research as he has advanced his career within prestigious institutions in England and North America.

In 2007, the effect of climate change on notothenioid fish prompted researchers from New Zealand and Sweden to pack up their PowerLab systems and travel to the Scott Base in Antarctica. The researchers used PowerLab to investigate how a rise in temperature in the McMurdo Sound affects the cardiovascular and respiratory physiology of the borch.

Since ADInstruments began in 1988, the revolutionary LabTutor software for PowerLab systems has been one of our most innovative developments for life science teaching. This month, we’re focusing on two different institutions that have made LabTutor a core tool in their first year physiology practical programs.

As ADInstruments celebrates 20 years of innovation, our customers continue to find innovative applications for PowerLab data acquisition systems and LabChart software. This month, read about how a group of Canadian researchers are investigating how life on the International Space Station affects astronauts' cardiovascular and cerebrovascular physiology.

The University of Otago, School of Physical Education researchers put ten of New Zealand's top young rally car drivers through a series of high-performance tests, as part of what is believed to be the first dedicated motor sport programme of its type in the world from 28 June to 2 July, 2004.