The Harvard Apparatus Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) is a useful tool for measuring common physiological parameters of Mice and Rats during surgeries. The core system consists of an Android tablet, Communication module, and Platform. Below you will find answers to common questions about the system.

What parameters can the base system record without any upgrades?

The Harvard Apparatus Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) can monitor ECG (via surface or external electrodes), Respiration rate, Heart Rate, and Body Temperature. The system can also provide homeothermic control through the platforms heated top surface.

What parameters can be added to the system via upgrades?

The Harvard Apparatus Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) can be upgraded to also monitor Blood Pressure, SpO2, and Exhaled Co2.

Can the upgrades be added after purchase?

All three upgrade options can be added to the system after purchase, however, the Exhaled Co2 upgrade will require the system be returned under RMA for retrofit as additional hardware needs to be added to the platform. It is recommended to order this upgrade at time of purchase if you think your study may require it in the future to reduce downtime.

Upon ordering the SpO2 option you will receive a software upgrade file and instructions on how to install it via e-mail and an SpO2 sensor will be sent via mail.

Upon ordering the Blood Pressure option you will receive a software upgrade file and instructions on how to install it via e-mail. A transducer is not included and you will need to already have one on hand or purchase one separately. The platform uses a Redel 5-pin connector for the blood pressure transducer and should work with any blood pressure transducer that uses this connector. We recommend using our part number 73-4905 which is our popular semi-disposable APT-300 blood pressure transducer with a Redel 5-pin cable.

Can I use a different Temperature Probe than the one you supply?

Unfortunately not. While the platform uses a T-Type thermocouple connection for the temperature probe the firmware is not coded for standard T-Type thermocouple response curves. It is only coded for the response curve of the probes we supply which is non-standard.

Can I use a different SpO2 sensor than the one you supply?

No. The platform uses a 6-pin mini-DIN connector for the SpO2 sensor and we are not aware of any other sensor on market that uses the same connector or pin layout.

Can I use a different Blood Pressure Transducer than the one you supply?

Yes. The platform uses a Redel 5-pin connector and uses the same pin layout as the Millar/ADI Redel 5-pin Bridge Amp. Any Blood Pressure Transducer that uses this connection, or can be adapted to it, should work with the system.

What connections does the Harvard Apparatus Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) use for its devices?

The External ECG Lead connectors use 2mm jacks that accept either 2mm straight or 2mm expanding pins. We recommend the use of cables with expanding pins to ensure good contact.
The Temperature sensor connector uses a T-Type thermocouple jack. Note this does not work with standard T-Type thermocouples.
The SpO2 Transducer connector uses a 6-pin mini-DIN jack.
The Blood Pressure Transducer connector uses a Redel 5-pin jack.
The Communication Module to Platform connector is a DB-9 cable.
The Communication Module Analog outputs use BNC jacks.

What format does the Harvard Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) save its data as?

The Harvard Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) saves data in .bin format. This file can be directly opened by any program capable of reading binary format files. The INT values required to properly decode the data can be found in the manual. The manual can be found on the tablet in the Monitoring Station/Admin folder, on the Harvard Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) product page on the Harvard Apparatus website under Related Files, or in the Harvard Apparatus support center manual section.

The Harvard Physiological Monitoring System (HPMS) also comes with a Java tool for converting the .bin files to .adibin for use in AD Insturments Labchart software or to the common .csv format used by other programs such as Excel.

Where are the data conversion tools stored on the tablet?

The Java conversion tool, Matlab script, and example Excel file can be found in the Monitoring Station/Admin folder on the tablet that came with your system. If you have installed the application on another device besides the one that came with your system the data conversion tools can be downloaded from the Harvard Apparatus support center's Software/Firmware downloads section.

Where can I download the Android application or data conversion tools?

The Android application (apk) and data conversion tools can be downloaded from the Harvard Apparatus support center's Software/Firmware downloads section.

What Operating Systems do the data conversion tools support?

The Java conversion tool will run on any system, Mac OS, Linux, or Windows, that has Java version 9 or newer installed.
The Matlab script requires the Mathworks Matlab program to be installed and will work on Mac OS, Linux, and Windows versions.
The example Excel visualization file requires Microsoft Excel to be installed and will only work on Windows machines.

Can I install the Android application on a device besides the included tablet?

Yes. You can use the Android application file (apk) to install the Monitoring Station application on any android device running Android 8.0 or newer. The device will need to be Bluetooth capable in order to communicate with the platform. We recommend a device with a 6 inch diagonal screen size or larger as this is what the application scales best to.