Two independent vessel positions
Test two vessels independently in the same system, supporting paired comparisons, replicate experiments and control-treatment designs.
Dual Wire Myograph System – 420A
Dual-channel wire myography for small artery functional studies
The DMT 420A is a dual-channel wire myograph for examining vascular reactivity and functional responses in small isolated arteries. It supports two independent ring-mounted vessel preparations from 30 µm to 3 mm, with precise force measurement, manual tension control and direct data streaming.
Two chambers
Independent testing of two vessel preparations.
30 µm to 3 mm
For small arteries and larger ring preparations.
MyoDAQ ready
USB data communication and analogue outputs.
2
independent vessel positions for paired studies
Why choose 420A
Reliable dual-channel wire myography for focused vessel studies
The 420A is suited for laboratories that need a compact, precise and flexible wire myograph for paired vessel studies, pilot experiments, teaching, method development and routine vascular pharmacology.
Flexible chamber configuration
Use the chamber divider for independent testing or remove it to expose two vessels to identical drug concentrations in a shared bath.
Precise manual tension control
Fine-scale micrometers allow manual control of vessel circumference and stretch during mounting and normalization.
High-resolution force measurement
Sensitive force transducers measure isometric tension development during contraction and relaxation protocols.
Optical base windows
Glass chamber windows support morphological observation or fluorescence measurements using an inverted microscope.
Modern interface and acquisition
The touchscreen Wire Interface supports heating control, calibration, analogue outputs and direct digital communication.
System overview
Compact dual-channel wire myography with direct comparison options
Vessel segments are mounted as ring preparations by threading them over two parallel wires secured to two supports or jaws. One support is connected to a precision micrometer, while the other is connected to a force transducer.
The chamber can be divided for independent testing or used as one shared bath by removing the divider, allowing two preparations to be exposed to identical compound concentrations.
Dual-channel design
Study two vessels independently or under shared bath
conditions.
Manual normalization
Set passive length-tension conditions after mounting and
equilibration.
Heated chamber
Maintain controlled physiological bath conditions during
experiments.
Direct data communication
Use USB or analogue outputs with the selected acquisition
workflow.
Product videos
Explore the 420A setup and operating workflow
DMT product videos provide practical guidance for system introduction, setup, calibration, cleaning and experimental preparation.
Introduction
View videos
System introduction
Overview of the 420A and its principal components.
Setup
View videos
Setting up
Practical setup workflow for the 420A system.
Calibration
View videos
Force calibration
Calibration guidance for consistent force measurement.
Maintenance
View videos
Cleaning and maintenance
Routine cleaning and system-care guidance.
Experiment
View videos
Experimental setup
Example experimental preparation using the 420A.
Applications
Small artery reactivity and paired comparison studies
The 420A is well suited for vascular contraction, relaxation and functional response studies in small isolated arteries under isometric conditions.
Its dual-channel chamber is particularly useful for treated versus untreated comparisons, diseased versus healthy preparations, pilot studies and protocol development.
Hypertension
Atherosclerosis
Diabetes
Pre-eclampsia
Endothelial function
COPD and asthma
Pulmonary research
01
Small artery studies
Examine ring-mounted vessels from approximately 30 µm to 3 mm.
02
Paired vessel comparisons
Compare treated and untreated or diseased and healthy preparations.
03
Concentration-response curves
Measure contraction and relaxation responses to pharmacological or physiological stimuli.
04
Imaging-compatible experiments
Use the optical base windows for observation or fluorescence measurements.
Selected scientific publications
Research applications demonstrated with the DMT 420A
The following peer-reviewed studies illustrate how researchers have used the DMT 420A for vascular reactivity, endothelial-function, pulmonary vascular and mechanistic investigations across different experimental models.
Cardiovascular outcome in 12-month-old male and female offspring of metformin-treated obese mice
Second-order femoral arteries were mounted in a Dual-Channel Wire Myography System 420A to assess vascular reactivity in adult offspring following maternal metformin treatment and obesity.
View publicationJagged/Notch proteins promote endothelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated pulmonary arterial hypertension via upregulation of the expression of GATAs
Pulmonary arterial rings were studied using a DMT 420A to evaluate contractile responses, relaxation and endothelial nitric-oxide function in experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension.
View publicationSoluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) regulates calcium signaling in the vascular endothelium
Mouse aortic segments were transferred to a DMT 420A Dual Wire Myograph System for isometric tension measurements used to investigate endothelial calcium signaling and vascular function.
View publicationDefining the ionic mechanisms of optogenetic control of vascular tone by channelrhodopsin-2
Aortic, mesenteric and pulmonary artery rings were measured using the DMT 420A to characterize the ionic mechanisms underlying channelrhodopsin-2-mediated control of vascular tone.
View publicationSystem components
Integrated hardware for paired vessel testing and force measurement
The 420A workflow combines the dual wire myograph chamber with the Wire Interface for temperature control, calibration and direct communication with the selected acquisition system.
Dual wire myograph chamber
Supports two ring-mounted vessel preparations with independent micrometer adjustment, force measurement and removable chamber separation.
Wire Interface
Provides touchscreen control of heating, force calibration, output configuration and direct digital or analogue data communication.
Technical data
Key 420A specifications
Core chamber, temperature, force-transducer and output specifications for planning a complete 420A installation.
The 420A uses manual normalization. Vessel dissection, mounting
quality, equilibration time and consistent normalization practice
remain important for reproducible vascular reactivity data.
Chamber
- Number of chambers
- 2
- Minimum chamber volume
- 2.7 ml
- Chamber shape
- Square
- Chamber material
- Acid-resistant stainless steel
- Vessel size
- >30 µm
- Normalization
- Manual
- Micrometer resolution
- 0.01 mm
- Mounting type
- Jaws
Temperature
- Temperature range
- 15.0 to 50.0 °C
- Temperature resolution
- 0.1 °C
- Temperature stability
- ±0.2 °C
- Heating
- Yes
Transducer
- Output reading
- mN
- Force range
- ±200 mN
- Frequency range
- 0–20 Hz
- Force resolution
- 0.01 mN
- Force calibration
- Yes
Data output
- Data communication
- USB 2.0
- Analogue output channels
- 4
- Analogue output range
- ±2.5 V
How-to videos
Practical guidance for 420A users
These resources support jaw alignment, mounting, equilibration, normalization and micrometer workflows relevant to 420A operation.
Alignment
View video
Align jaws and pins
Practical alignment guidance for mounting supports.
Mounting
View video
Change mounts
Change compatible mounting supports and components.
Equilibration
View video
Equilibrate aorta
Practical equilibration guidance for vessel rings.
Mounting
View video
Mount a mesenteric artery
Small-vessel preparation and mounting guidance.
Normalization
View video
Normalization factor
Context for normalization in wire-myograph workflows.
Configuration guidance
Plan the complete 420A laboratory workflow
The correct configuration depends on the intended vessel preparation, comparative protocol, acquisition setup and available laboratory infrastructure.
Core workflow items
Typical complete workflows include MyoDAQ or LabChart acquisition, a computer, dissection stereo microscope, light source, dissection tools, heating bath or circulator and vacuum package.
Comparative-study additions
Useful options include an electronic valve for buffer drainage, gas supply manifold, pH electrode and meter, field-stimulation electrodes and a compatible stimulator.
Service and long-term support
Spare force transducers, tungsten wire, training, service agreements and extended warranty options can support consistent operation in high-use laboratories.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about the 420A
What is the Dual Wire Myograph System 420A used for?
The 420A is designed to measure isometric force in two isolated blood vessel or tissue ring preparations simultaneously. Its dual-channel design makes it ideal for paired comparison studies, vascular pharmacology, endothelial function, and small artery research.
What types of vessels can be studied with the 420A?
The 420A is designed for small arteries, veins, and other ring-mounted tissue preparations ranging from approximately 30 µm to 3 mm in diameter. It is widely used to study vascular reactivity and smooth muscle function under isometric conditions.
What measurements can the Dual Wire Myograph System 420A perform?
The system measures isometric force, vascular contraction, relaxation, endothelial function, concentration-response curves, and passive length-tension relationships. It provides high-resolution force measurements for functional vascular studies.
Why would I choose a dual-channel wire myograph?
A dual-channel wire myograph allows researchers to compare two vessel preparations at the same time, such as treated versus untreated tissues or healthy versus diseased samples. Running experiments in parallel improves efficiency and helps reduce experimental variability.
Can the 420A perform independent and shared bath experiments?
Yes. The 420A features a removable chamber divider, allowing researchers to run two completely independent experiments or expose both vessel preparations to the same solution for direct side-by-side comparisons.
What research applications is the 420A best suited for?
The 420A is commonly used in hypertension, diabetes, endothelial dysfunction, vascular pharmacology, atherosclerosis, pulmonary research, receptor pharmacology, and small artery physiology. It is especially valuable for paired comparison studies and method development.
What's the difference between the 420A and the Multi Myograph 620M?
The 420A is designed for paired comparison studies, allowing two vessel preparations to be tested simultaneously. The 620M features four independent chambers, making it the better choice for higher-throughput studies, drug screening, and experiments requiring multiple samples in parallel.
Is the Dual Wire Myograph System 420A the right system for my research?
The 420A is the ideal choice if your research requires direct comparison of two vessel preparations, such as treatment versus control or healthy versus diseased tissue. If you only need a single chamber, consider the 320A. If your laboratory routinely studies multiple vessels in parallel, the 620M provides greater throughput.
Resources
420A documentation and supporting guidance
Use the product data sheet, manuals, normalization guidance, software and support pages when evaluating, configuring or operating the 420A.
420A product data sheet
Product overview, applications and technical specifications.
→420A user manual
Detailed setup, interface, calibration and maintenance documentation.
→420A user guide
Practical reference for daily system use and workflow.
→Normalization guide
DMT normalization reference for wire-myograph workflows.
→MyoDAQ Acquisition
Data-acquisition software for DMT myograph workflows.
→Software downloads
Find DMT installers, drivers and acquisition tools.
→Wire myograph systems
Compare DMT wire-myograph platforms and workflows.
→Training and installation
Support onboarding and consistent system operation.
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