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A Portable Device for Safe and Accurate Access to the Circulatory System of Small Laboratory Animals

Award Number: R44OD042685
ORGANIZATION: OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NIH
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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A Portable Device for Safe and Accurate Access to the Circulatory System of Small Laboratory Animals - PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The standard industry practice of freehand manual tail vein injection delivers undesirably low success rates. This leads to multiple needle insertions, generating unnecessary tissue damage and increasing pain. Additionally, failed tail-vein injections lead to data loss and require additional animals to complete research studies. Finally, the dose variation created by unreliable injections increases the number and size of errors in the resulting data. In addition to the known difficulties inherent in freehand tail-vein injections, the occupational hazards associated with the substantial increase in introducing infectious disease pathogens into mice via tail-vein injections have become a genuine safety concern. Multiple devices are commercially available to assist mouse tail-vein injection by providing additional constraints, warming, and illumination. However, despite using those, the operator needs to align a needle with the vein coaxially, and any angular displacement of the injection path will lead to failure. Therefore, the success rate for accessing the tail vein or artery largely depends on individual training and experience, regardless of the commercial device used. We developed a prototype device to facilitate tail-vein injection in mice. This device mechanically guides a needle into the tail vein of a mouse using the relationship between the tail diameter and the vein depth. The device was designed to be practical, portable, affordable, and safe, with a global appeal for use in routine preclinical settings. In this direct Phase II study, we aim to upgrade this device for higher than 95% accuracy in accessing the tail vein or artery of both mice and rats, as well as establish a controlled injection process & occupationally safe environment such that the xact-INject will eliminate the opportunity for inadvertent contact between the needle and the operator. To achieve this goal, three specific aims are proposed. Aim 1: Extend the precise biometric-positioning strategy to provide multiple target sites. The prototype device guided the needle to a single target injection site based on the device’s biometric-positioning strategy. In this study, we will modify the device to provide a plurality of biometric-target sites along the subject tail vein or artery. The alternate tail beds will allow the operator to swap tail beds to avoid a section of the tail vein that may be suboptimal due to a thin, curved, or damaged vein. Aim 2: Extend the precise biometric-positioning strategy for rats. Rats are commonly used animals for various preclinical research, and it is critical to access its circulation via the tail vein or artery with a high degree of success. The same biometric research to develop the device for mice will also be performed for rats. Aim 3: Develop a digital magnifier to display the needle positioning remotely. A modular Bluetooth display will provide up to 1000x real-time video, enabling the precise visual evaluation of the injection's success. Besides, this device will allow remote monitoring of the needle insertion while the research animal and xact-INject are located within a biosafety enclosure.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $1,004,323 )
2026	2026	BIOMETRIC POSITIONING SYSTEMS LLC	5108 GREYSTONE WAY	BIRMINGHAM	AL	35242	SHELBY	USA	Research Infrastructure Programs	000	1	8/24/2026	NEW	$1,004,323
														Subtotal = $1,004,323

Grand Total All Awards = $1,004,323

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A Portable Device for Safe and Accurate Access to the Circulatory System of Small Laboratory Animals

Award Number: R44OD042685

ORGANIZATION: OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, NIH

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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