Model organisms with soft skulls, such as the mouse and the neonatal rat, are difficult to secure firmly in a traditional stereotaxic instrument. The stainless steel ear bars used for adult rats are too heavy to provide a secure hold without compressing the sides of the skull inward (which closes the airways and impedes blood flow). Further, the neonatal rat pup has no external opening of the auditory canal into which to insert the ear bars. Stoelting’s light weight, Delrin® ear bars with tapered points on one end, and rubber tips on the other, facilitate surgery on mice and rat pups. These ear bars were designed specifically for the Mouse and Neonatal Rat adaptor and Mouse specific Stereotaxic Instruments. Specialized jaw holder cuffs are also available (51647 - sold separately), which securely clamp the zygomatic processes of the skull. The jaw holder cuffs fit over the ends of the ear bars, replacing the rubber tips, providing an alternative non-invasive means of securing the animal’s head in the stereotaxic stage.

Jaw Holder Cuffs (item 51647 - pictured at the top right) are Sold Separately