The new BenchMark Angle One™ Stereotaxic Instrument is the most technologically advanced animal stereotaxic instrument manufactured. The Angle One allows you to easily vary the angle of approach and it automatically calculates the new coordinates of your target structure.

Because brain atlases are written, and the brain is mapped, in coordinates from skull flat and Bregma, most stereotaxic surgery is performed in this coordinate orientation. There are valid reasons for doing surgery from the Vertical approach. First, it is difficult to calculate how to reach a given point in the brain if the stereotaxic manipulator is tilted. And second, such calculations rely on the imprecise protractor on the stereotaxic instrument and, thus, create considerable risk for error. Using this coordinate orientation also 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, behavioral response to brain damage, or almost any manipulation. The correct control is initiating action at the target site without approaching over the vertical pathway.

Now you can improve the rigor and interpretation of your stereotaxic research without adding the extensive calculations and risk of error to the protocol. The BenchMark Angle One solves these problems.

The Angle One performs as follows:
• The display panel box has a number and zeroing button for each of the three 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 will remain set as long as the power is on.

• The manipulator is then tilted to the desired position with the angles displayed on the LCDs.

• The probe is moved to Bregma and the linear displays are zeroed.

• Scrolling buttons (up & down) are then used to enter the target in reference coordinates on the three linear axes displays.

• These target coordinates are stored and saved until reset. During the next surgery, they will reappear by simply pressing a button.

• By subsequently pressing mode button, the linear displays will switch from the target coordinates in the reference frame to the target coordinates in the new tilted, non-orthogonal frame.

• As the target is approached, the LCD display counts down to zero. When each linear display reaches zero, the target should be hit.

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

With the Angle One, it is easy to set the manipulator at any arbitrary angle and reach the same target point every time. No pilot studies. No calculations. Standard atlas coordinates. Every surgery in a group can be performed from a different angle— completely undoing the traditional confounding with experimental groups.

Of course, the Angle One still incorporates the fine drive and advanced features of the Benchmark Deluxe line of stereotaxic instruments. The Angle One is the third generation of advanced stereotaxic instruments. Due to the unique nature of this instrument, a second set of stereotaxic patents is currently pending at the U.S. patent office.