Four independent chambers
Run parallel tissue measurements, treatment-control comparisons, concentration-response studies and multi-condition protocols.
Organ Bath System – 820MO
Four-channel organ bath for parallel isometric contractility studies
The DMT 820MO is a fully integrated four-channel organ bath for high-precision force measurement in isolated smooth, cardiac and skeletal muscle preparations. It combines removable stainless-steel chambers, selectable force ranges, heating, oxygenation, drainage and direct data streaming in one robust platform.
Four chambers
Run independent tissue preparations and protocols in parallel.
±1600 mN maximum
Four selectable force ranges for different tissue types.
15–50 °C
Integrated temperature-controlled chamber conditions.
4
removable chambers for parallel organ bath measurements
Why choose 820MO
Multi-channel throughput with controlled and reproducible bath conditions
The 820MO is designed for laboratories that need to study several isolated tissues simultaneously while maintaining consistent temperature, oxygenation, force measurement and solution handling across every chamber.
Rings and strips
Mount vascular rings, tubular tissue and muscle strips using pins or clamps without changing the standard transducer.
Selectable force ranges
Choose ±200, ±400, ±800 or ±1600 mN to match measurement sensitivity to the preparation and expected contractile force.
Removable stainless-steel chambers
Remove chambers for tissue mounting under a dissection microscope and clean them without fragile water-jacketed glass.
Integrated chamber control
Heating, oxygenation, drainage, force calibration and interface settings are coordinated within one system.
Built for throughput
Combine the 820MO with the Buffer Filler System – 625FS for efficient buffer exchange and screening workflows.
System overview
Controlled organ bath conditions for reliable contractile-force studies
Each tissue preparation is mounted inside a removable, acid-resistant stainless-steel chamber. One end is connected to a sensitive isometric force transducer, while the opposite end is connected to a precision micrometer for preload adjustment.
The four chambers remain physically separated, allowing independent compound addition and treatment conditions while sharing a compact integrated control platform.
Removable chambers
Mount tissue under a dissection microscope before returning
the chamber to the heated system.
Manual preload control
Use the precision micrometer to establish resting tension and
length-tension conditions.
Individual solution conditions
Run independent treatments, controls and compound protocols in
separated baths.
Digital and analogue output
Stream directly through USB or use four BNC analogue output
channels.
Applications
Smooth, cardiac and skeletal muscle contractility studies
The 820MO supports isolated tissue studies where force, oxygenation, temperature stability and controlled compound exposure are central to the experimental design.
Four independent chambers make the system well suited for pharmacology, screening and comparative studies involving several preparations or treatment conditions.
Hypertension
Atherosclerosis
COPD and asthma
Gastrointestinal research
Bladder and urology
Neuromuscular disease
Sports and exercise physiology
01
Vascular ring studies
Measure contractile and relaxation responses in aortic rings, veins and other suitable vascular preparations.
02
Smooth muscle pharmacology
Study trachea, ileum, colon, uterine tissue, bladder-related preparations and other smooth muscle segments.
03
Cardiac and skeletal muscle
Support cardiac, diaphragm and skeletal muscle preparations where isometric force is the primary endpoint.
04
Drug testing and screening
Run parallel drug-response protocols using four chambers and optional automated buffer filling.
05
Electrical stimulation
Add optional chamber-cover electrodes and a compatible stimulator for field or direct stimulation studies.
Selected scientific publications
820MO in peer-reviewed research
Selected studies that explicitly report use of the DMT Organ Bath System 820MO for isolated tissue contractility and force measurements.
Epimedin C enhances mitochondrial energy supply by regulating the interaction between MIC25 and UBC in rodent model
Isolated skeletal muscle preparations were tested using the DMT 820MO organ bath system during stimulation experiments to evaluate contractile performance alongside mitochondrial and metabolic outcomes.
View publicationMatrix Metallopeptidase 9 Promotes Contraction in Human Uterine Myometrium
Human myometrial strips were suspended in DMT 820MO tissue organ baths for isometric contraction measurements used to investigate the role of MMP-9 in uterine contractile activity.
View publicationRAGE contributes to persistent sepsis-induced muscle and mitochondrial alterations
Isolated soleus muscle preparations were studied with the DMT 820MO muscle-strip organ bath setup to quantify ex vivo contractile function in a model of persistent sepsis-related muscle dysfunction.
View publicationMechanism of Oxytocin-Induced Contraction in Rat Gastric Circular Smooth Muscle
Rat gastric circular muscle strips were mounted in a DMT-820MO organ bath for isometric force measurements used to characterize oxytocin-induced smooth muscle contraction and its signaling mechanisms.
View publication
Publications are provided as examples of peer-reviewed research in which the
DMT 820MO was explicitly reported. Inclusion does not imply endorsement of
the authors, institutions, conclusions or experimental methods by DMT.
Chamber selection
Match chamber size and mounting format to the preparation
The standard chamber supports routine vascular rings and muscle strips. The optional 820-XL chamber extends the available length and volume for larger tissue preparations.
Preparation dimensions, expected force, mounting support size and
stimulation requirements should be defined before final system
configuration.
Standard chamber volume
4.0 mL minimum and 8.0 mL maximum, reducing buffer, compound and
reagent use.
Standard ring preparations
Supports ring-mounted tissue from 500 µm up to approximately
19 mm.
Standard strip preparations
Supports strip-mounted tissue from approximately 1 mm to 19 mm.
820-XL chamber volume
10 mL minimum and 16 mL maximum for larger preparations.
820-XL tissue capacity
Supports ring-mounted tissue up to 30 mm and strip-mounted
muscle up to 45 mm.
Mounting formats
Pins support tubular and ring preparations, while clamps support
muscle and tissue strips.
System components
Integrated hardware for parallel organ bath measurements
The 820MO combines four removable chamber units with an integrated interface for selectable force range, heating, gassing, drainage, calibration and direct data communication.
Four-channel organ bath platform
Four removable chamber positions support parallel isometric studies of vascular rings, smooth muscle, cardiac tissue and skeletal muscle preparations.
Integrated Multi Interface
Provides touchscreen control of force range, heating, calibration and drainage together with gas regulation, USB communication and four analogue outputs.
Compared with traditional organ baths
A compact integrated alternative to multi-component glass systems
The 820MO consolidates force amplification, chamber control, drainage and data communication into one robust four-channel platform.
Smaller chamber volumes
Reduce buffer, drug and reagent consumption compared with many
conventional glass organ bath formats.
Robust chamber material
Acid-resistant stainless steel avoids fragile double-jacketed
glass and supports easier cleaning.
Integrated control
Heating, gassing, drainage, calibration and signal output are
coordinated through one interface.
Flexible preparations
Change from vascular rings to muscle strips without replacing
the standard isometric force transducer.
Direct computer connection
Stream force data through USB or connect external acquisition
equipment using four analogue outputs.
Product videos
820MO setup, calibration and experimental guidance
DMT product videos provide practical guidance for system introduction, setup, calibration, cleaning and tissue mounting.
Introduction
View videos
System introduction
Overview of the 820MO and its principal components.
Setup
View videos
Setting up
Practical setup workflow for the Organ Bath System.
Calibration
View videos
Force calibration
Calibration guidance for consistent force measurements.
Maintenance
View videos
Cleaning and maintenance
Routine cleaning and system-care guidance.
Strip preparation
View videos
Experimental setup: strips
Example mounting workflow for strip preparations.
Ring preparation
View videos
Experimental setup: rings
Example mounting workflow for ring preparations.
Technical data
Key 820MO specifications
Chamber, mounting, temperature, force and output specifications for planning a complete 820MO installation.
Final configuration should be based on tissue format, preparation
size, expected contractile force, chamber volume, stimulation
requirements and data-acquisition workflow.
Standard chamber
- Number of chambers
- 4
- Minimum chamber volume
- 4.0 mL
- Maximum chamber volume
- 8.0 mL
- Chamber material
- Acid-resistant stainless steel
- Ring-mounted tissue
- 500 µm–19 mm
- Strip-mounted tissue
- 1–19 mm
- Mounting type
- Pins or clamps
- Micrometer resolution
- 0.01 mm
- Normalization
- Manual
820-XL option
- Minimum chamber volume
- 10 mL
- Maximum chamber volume
- 16 mL
- Ring-mounted tissue
- 500 µm–30 mm
- Strip-mounted tissue
- 1–45 mm
Temperature
- Temperature range
- 15.0–50.0 °C
- Temperature resolution
- 0.1 °C
- Temperature stability
- ±0.2 °C
- Heating
- Integrated
Transducer
- Output reading
- mN or g
- Selectable force range
- ±200 / ±400 / ±800 / ±1600 mN
- Force resolution
- 0.01 mN
- Force calibration
- Integrated procedure
Data output
- Digital communication
- USB 2.0
- Analogue output channels
- 4
- Analogue output range
- ±2.5 V
- Analogue signal
- Filtered or raw
Configuration guidance
Plan the complete 820MO organ bath workflow
The correct configuration depends on tissue format, preparation dimensions, force range, chamber size, stimulation method, throughput and acquisition requirements.
Preparation and chamber
Define the tissue type, ring or strip format and preparation size to determine whether the standard or 820-XL chamber is required.
Force and stimulation
Confirm the expected contractile-force range, required pins or clamps and whether field or direct electrical stimulation is part of the protocol.
Acquisition and throughput
Select MyoDAQ, USB communication, BNC analogue output or LabChart integration and consider the Buffer Filler System for repetitive solution-exchange workflows.
Related organ bath systems
Compare the 820MO with compact single-channel platforms
Choose the system according to chamber requirements, throughput, laboratory workflow and the number of preparations that must be studied simultaneously.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about the 820MO
What is the Organ Bath System 820MO used for?
The 820MO is a 4-channel organ bath system designed to measure isometric force in isolated smooth, skeletal, and cardiac muscle preparations. It allows researchers to study tissue contractility, drug responses, and physiological function while running up to four experiments simultaneously.
What types of tissue can be studied with the 820MO?
The 820MO supports vascular rings, smooth muscle, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and tissue strips. Standard and XL chamber options accommodate preparations ranging from small vessel rings to larger tissue strips, making the system suitable for a wide variety of ex vivo studies.
What measurements can the Organ Bath System 820MO perform?
The system measures isometric force, tissue contraction, relaxation, length-tension relationships, and pharmacological responses. Researchers can also perform concentration-response experiments and evaluate tissue function under tightly controlled physiological conditions.
Can the 820MO be used for drug testing and pharmacology research?
Yes. The 820MO is designed for drug screening, concentration-response studies, receptor pharmacology, and safety pharmacology. Four independent chambers allow researchers to compare treatments and controls simultaneously, improving efficiency and experimental consistency.
Why choose the 820MO over a traditional organ bath?
The 820MO modernizes the traditional organ bath by combining four independent chambers, integrated heating, oxygenation, drainage, selectable force ranges, and direct digital data acquisition into one compact system. This simplifies setup, reduces maintenance, and increases experimental throughput.
What research applications is the 820MO best suited for?
The 820MO is widely used in physiology, pharmacology, cardiovascular research, gastrointestinal research, smooth muscle biology, skeletal muscle studies, cardiac research, and drug discovery where reliable, parallel tissue measurements are essential.
What's the difference between the 820MO and a traditional glass organ bath?
Unlike conventional glass organ baths that require multiple external components, the 820MO is an integrated system with built-in chamber control, heating, gas bubbling, calibration, and digital data acquisition. Its compact design also reduces bench space while maintaining high-quality tissue measurements.
Is the Organ Bath System 820MO the right system for my research?
The 820MO is an excellent choice for laboratories that routinely perform isolated tissue experiments, need higher throughput, or want to run multiple preparations in parallel. If you only require a single-channel system for teaching, pilot studies, or lower sample volumes, the 751MT or 752eT may be a better fit.
Resources
820MO documentation and supporting resources
Use the official product documentation and related DMT pages when evaluating, configuring, installing or operating the 820MO.
820MO product data sheet
Product overview, applications, specifications and configuration guidance.
→820MO user manual
Detailed system setup, interface, calibration, mounting and maintenance information.
→820MO user guide
Practical guidance for preparing and operating the organ bath system.
→Normalization guide
Guidance for establishing consistent preload and length-tension conditions.
→Organ bath systems
Review and compare the DMT organ bath product family.
→MyoDAQ Acquisition
Review the DMT data-acquisition workflow for compatible systems.
→Buffer Filler System – 625FS
Reduce repetitive manual buffer filling in multi-chamber workflows.
→Configuration advice
Discuss tissue format, chamber size, force range, stimulation and acquisition requirements with DMT.
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