The Von Frey monofilament was designed for the assessment of mechanical nociception.
- Clear acrylic construction
- Each chamber comes with two dividers
- Chamber can hold 2 rats with one divider and 4 mice with 2 dividers
- Chamber has a lid with air holes and the top is easy to open and close
The Von Frey monofilament was designed by Maximilian Von Frey as an esthesiometer in 1896. These filaments have been widely used in the assessment of mechanical nociception. The process of assessment of punctuating mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia involves the application of Von Frey filaments of forces ranging anywhere from 0.08 mN to 2940 mN, and observing the withdrawal thresholds. The assay can be performed manually or by using an electric Von Frey apparatus. The electric device is used to overcome the disadvantages of the conventional assay. The former has many advantages over the manual assay, primarily the use of a single filament to apply varying levels of pressure. Further, unlike other tests such as the Randall-Selitto test, the Von Frey monofilament assay does not require restraining the subject. This approach minimizes handling and restraining anxiety which could otherwise potentially influence the performance of the subject.