Key Benefits
- Animal safety by design — real-time pressure monitoring detects occlusions before catastrophic failure; pressure release mechanism retracts plunger on alarm
- Superior accuracy — ±0.5% accuracy (excluding syringe variability) — compared to 2–3% for clinical pumps adapted from human use
- Exceptional low-flow performance — flow rates down to 0.001 µL/h with a 1 µL syringe for the most demanding preclinical infusion protocols
- Auto-resume after power loss — persists pump state for up to 12 hours; USB-C PD3.0 battery operation supported for in-cage and in vivo use
Overview
The Instech Model 400 was developed from the ground up by a team with decades of experience in laboratory animal infusion. Unlike industrial syringe pumps adapted from clinical or manufacturing applications, the P400 is engineered specifically for the unique demands of small animal research — where the subject may weigh as little as 25 g and flow rates can be as low as nanolitres per hour.
A real-time pressure monitoring system (0–20 PSI) continuously detects occlusions before they become critical, triggering alarms and automatically releasing the plunger backward to protect the animal. Multiple configurable alarms cover syringe dislodgement, empty/near-empty states, and occlusion thresholds. The clutchless drive mechanism delivers smoother low-flow performance than industrial competitors at microliter rates.
A modern touchscreen interface, auto-detection of syringe size and type, USB-C PD3.0 battery compatibility, and auto-resume after power loss make the P400 suitable for both benchtop and in vivo use in challenging environments. CE, UK CA, FCC, UL, and CSA certified.
Key Features
- Real-time pressure monitoring 0–20 PSI with configurable occlusion alarm (10, 15, 20 PSI)
- Pressure release: plunger retracts automatically on occlusion alarm
- Multiple alarms: syringe dislodged, syringe empty, syringe near-empty
- Auto-detection of syringe size and type from built-in library
- Syringe compatibility: BD plastic & glass, HSW/Norm-Ject, Hamilton, user-defined custom
- Flow rate range: 0.001 µL/h (1 µL syringe) to 120 mL/min (50 mL syringe)
- Step resolution: 0.02 µm
- Infusion modes: Rate + Volume, Rate + Time, Volume + Time
- Touchscreen interface with simplified operation
- Horizontal or vertical mounting; optional rack mounting for multi-pump setups
- Auto-resume after power loss (up to 12 hours)
- USB-C PD3.0 battery compatible for portable/in-cage use
- Firmware updatable via USB-A port
- CE, UK CA, FCC, UL, CSA certified
Typical Applications
- Mouse and rat IV infusion (continuous and intermittent)
- Intrathecal dosing
- Microdialysis
- Glucose clamping studies (multi-pump rack configurations)
- Blood sampling combined with infusion
- Multi-channel infusion protocols
Specifications
| Accuracy | ±0.5% (excl. syringe variability) |
|---|---|
| Min flow rate | 0.001 µL/h (1 µL syringe) |
| Max flow rate | 120 mL/min (50 mL syringe) |
| Step resolution | 0.02 µm |
| Pressure monitoring | 0–20 PSI (syringes ID ≥4.5 mm) |
| Syringe compatibility | BD, HSW/Norm-Ject, Hamilton, custom |
| Dimensions | 31 × 13 × 6.5 cm |
| Weight | 1.7 kg |
| Power | 12 VDC 2A (adapter included) or USB-C PD3.0 battery |
| Operating temp | 5–40°C |
| Certifications | CE, UK CA, FCC, UL, CSA |
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the P400 differ from industrial syringe pumps like Harvard Apparatus or KD Scientific?
Industrial pumps are designed for manufacturing or clinical use and lack animal safety features. The P400 includes real-time pressure monitoring with automatic plunger retraction on occlusion, flow rates down to 0.001 µL/h, and animal-specific alarms — none of which are standard on industrial units.
Can the P400 be used on battery power for in vivo studies?
Yes. The P400 supports USB-C PD3.0 battery packs delivering 12V at 2A. A 10,000 mAh pack provides many hours of operation, making it suitable for ambulatory and in-cage infusion studies.
What happens if the power is interrupted during infusion?
The P400 stores pump state and auto-resumes operation for up to 12 hours after a power interruption, preventing accidental under-dosing during infusion studies.
What syringes are compatible with the P400?
The pump auto-detects syringe size and type from its built-in library covering BD plastic and glass syringes, HSW/Norm-Ject, and Hamilton syringes. Custom syringe definitions can also be entered by the user.
Can multiple P400 pumps be used together?
Yes. The P400 supports optional rack mounting for multi-pump configurations, commonly used in glucose clamping studies where separate infusion and withdrawal pumps are required.
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