The Angle One allows you to easily vary the angle of approach and automatically calculates the new coordinates of your target structure.

In view of the fact that brain atlases show coordinates from Skull Flat and Bregma, most stereotaxic surgery is done in that coordinate orientation. There was valid reason for this. It is difficult to calculate how to reach a given point in brain if the stereotaxic manipulator is tilted. Such calculations rely on the imprecise protractor on the stereotaxic instrument, and create considerable risk of error. However, this means that the angle of approach is confounded with the manipulation at the target site in stereotaxic research. This is a problem whether the research involves injections of anatomical tracers, or behavioral response to brain damage, or almost any manipulation. The correct control is the action at the target site, with out approaching over the vertical pathway.

Now you can improve the rigor and interpretability of your stereotaxic reseaarch, without adding the heavy calculations and risk of error to the protocol.

The Angle One works like this:

• The display panel box has a number and zeroing button for each of the 3 linear axes, and the two angle measurements.

• Angle transducers (Optical encoders) continuously display the angle position/

• Angle displays will be zeroed once at the vertical position, and remain set as long as power is on.

• The manipulator is tilted to the desired position, with the angles displayed on the angle LCD’s.

• The probe is moved to bregma, and the linear displays zeroed.

• Then, scrolling buttons (up & down) will be used to enter the target in reference coordinates on the 3 linear axes displays.

• The target coordinates are stored and saved until reset. The next surgery, a button press will bring them up.

• A mode button will be pressed, and the linear displays will switch from the target coordinates in the reference frame to target coordinates in the new tilted, nonorthogonal frame.

• As you move toward the target, the display counts down. Each linear display will read zero when it is where it should be to hit the target.

Touching the mode button at any time will switch the linear displays back and forth between the reference frame and the tilted, nonorthogonal frame.

With the Angle One, it is easy to set the manipulator at any arbitrary angle, and reach the same target point. No pilot studies are need and certainly no calculations! You use standard atlas coordinates. Every surgery in a group can be done from a different angle, completely undoing the traditional confounding with experimental group.

Of course, the Angle One incorporates the fine drive and all the advanced features of the Benchmark™ Deluxe line of stereotaxic instruments.