NexGen™ Mouse 510 Edge Cage with Automatic Watering

NexGen™ Mouse 510 Edge Cage with Automatic Watering – Reusable Polysulfone IVC Cage for Mice

The NexGen™ Mouse 510 Edge Cage is a reusable individually ventilated cage (IVC) for mice, part of the Allentown NexGen™ IVC system – one of the lightest and easiest-to-use IVC systems for laboratory animal housing. The Edge cage design increases the floor space to 535 cm² while maintaining the external dimensions of the Standard cage, allowing it to fit the same NexGen Mouse IVC racks, which accommodate both reusable NexGen and single-use EasyCage® cages.

This version (Cat. no. 223580-2) is designed for automatic watering: when the cage is docked, it connects to the drinking valve of an IVC rack equipped with an automatic watering system (a stainless steel watering manifold with removable valves). Animals have continuous access to fresh water, and staff no longer need to fill, change, or wash water bottles. A version for bottle watering is also available (Cat. no. 223580-4).

Key Features

• Prepared for rack-mounted automatic watering – no water bottles to fill, change, or wash
• Edge design: 535 cm² of floor space within the same footprint as the 510 cm² Standard cage
• Clear, high-temperature-resistant polysulfone cage for easy animal observation
• Gasketed cage lid protects animals and keeps the microenvironment secure
• Hinged filter retainer swings up for quick filter replacement
• Flip-up/stay-up cardholders that do not obstruct the view into the cage
• Smooth, single-finger docking and undocking in NexGen IVC racks with auto-locking runners
• Compact nesting and stacking for higher autoclave throughput
• Autoclavable up to 134 °C and chemically sterilizable
• Tops available with or without locks and with multiple feeder configurations

How to Complete the NexGen 510 Cage Set

The NexGen™ Mouse 510 Edge Cage with Automatic Watering is supplied as a complete cage with the following components:

1. NexGen Mouse 510 Edge Cage base, with automatic watering

2. Choose one of four external tops: Micro Barrier Top, External Bottle Top, Dual External Bottle Top, or External Hydropac® Top. All models are available with or without locks. With automatic watering, the Micro Barrier Top is recommended, as no water bottle is required.

3. Choose one of four wire bar lids and feeders: Full Pocket Wire Bar Lid (food capacity: 426 g), Half Pocket Wire Bar Lid (food capacity: 599 g), Hydropac®-compatible Single Plastic Feeder Tray (PFT) with stainless steel grate (food capacity: 426 g), Dual Plastic Feeder Tray (PFT) with stainless steel grate (food capacity: 848 g).

4. Automatic watering – the cage base connects to the rack's drinking valve when the cage is docked. The cage requires a NexGen Mouse 510 IVC rack with automatic watering, connected to the facility's central automatic watering system.

5. Choose a cardholder: vertical or horizontal (each for 76 × 102 mm or 76 × 127 mm cage cards)

6. Choose one of four enrichment options: Mouse Mezzanine™, Safe Harbor Mouse Retreat™, Enrichment Loft, or Cage Divider.

Housing Capacity According to Directive 2010/63/EU

Maximum number of animals per cage, based on the minimum floor area per animal set out in Directive 2010/63/EU:

• Up to 8 mice weighing 20 g or less
• Up to 7 mice weighing over 20 g and up to 25 g
• Up to 6 mice weighing over 25 g and up to 30 g
• Up to 5 mice weighing over 30 g

Applications of the NexGen™ Mouse 510 Edge Cage with Automatic Watering

The NexGen™ Mouse 510 Edge Cage with Automatic Watering is a component of the Allentown NexGen™ IVC systems. The cage is therefore used together with a complete NexGen IVC rack and a watering installation prepared in the animal facility.

A central automatic watering system is part of the building infrastructure and typically includes water treatment and filtration, pressure-reducing stations, stainless steel room distribution piping, flexible rack connection hoses, rack manifolds with drinking valves, automated flushing and sanitization, and pressure and flow monitoring with alarms. The complete system – IVC racks, cages, and watering installation – is best suited to:

• New vivaria and facility modernizations where automatic watering is designed into the building infrastructure together with the IVC racks
• Large mouse facilities and barrier (SPF) units with many IVC racks, where automatic watering replaces daily bottle filling, changing, and washing
• Breeding and maintaining colonies of transgenic and knockout mouse lines requiring continuous access to fresh, consistently treated water
• Long-term and preclinical studies where a reliable water supply and reduced cage handling minimize disturbance to the animals
• Facilities aiming to reduce washroom workload, water bottle inventory, and labor costs

For facilities without a central watering installation, the bottle watering version of this cage (Cat. no. 223580-4) is recommended.