Sentinel™ colony health monitoring
Allentown and Charles River Laboratories have partnered to develop the Exhaust Air Dust (EAD®) collection methodology. This system does not require soiled-bedding sentinel animals but instead captures and samples aggregate exhaust air from IVCs using a patented collection medium that attracts dust particles without loading like a filter or affecting airflow.
Fewer Sentinel Animals
The number of rodents required for traditional SBS programs, estimated at up to 1,000,000 annually, can now be significantly reduced. In fact, a study undertaken by the University of Chicago reported a reduction of approximately 1,700 sentinel animals per year. These types of reductions can bring facilities that use the Sentinel system more closely in line with the 3Rs.
More Accurate Results
Tested extensively by Charles River and Allentown, the Sentinel EAD protocol not only increases detection rates for the most commonly tested agents but also expands the number and variety of agents that can be tested and detected.
Reduced Labor and Cost
In a study performed by the University of Chicago comparing Soiled Bedding Sentinels (SBS) and EAD, the annual cost of their Sentinel program was found to be 26% lower than that of the SBS program, equating to $160,800 in savings per year for that institution.
All Systems Are NOT the Same
Sentinel utilizes exhaust air dust collection in conjunction with PCR analysis to achieve tremendous results. As increasing numbers of industry leaders become convinced of the efficacy of this system, the questions now become: "Are all capture systems the same?" and "Does EAD capture work the same in all IVCs?" The answer to both questions is NO.
EAD collection – the backbone of Sentinel – works best in Allentown IVCs. Here's why: The combination of Allentown's collection media material, two options for capture devices and their placement within the exhaust stream, and Allentown's industry-leading airflow performance serves to maximize the efficacy of the system and achieve results unobtainable with other IVCs and solutions.
