Micro-Oxymax
The Micro-Oxymax is the most sensitive respirometer that is highly adaptable and flexibile offering automated turnkey operation in a robust package.
The Micro-Oxymax is the most sensitive respirometer that is highly adaptable and flexibile offering automated turnkey operation in a robust package.
Originally developed in response to remediation efforts following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, it was engineered to measure the respiration of living organisms with exceptional precision. Ideal for aerobic and anaerobic studies of solid and liquid samples, the Micro-Oxymax is modular and supports a wide range of applications, including biodegradability testing, bioremediation research, and other environmental monitoring.
Why the Micro-Oxymax
Our Industry-Leading Sensitivity
As an ultra-sensitive respirometer that detects CO₂ recovery as low as 0.03 mg per hour using a closed-loop measurement system, it isolates gas exchange from background noise, adjusts pressure and gas rates for precise measurements, and ensures minimal contamination through efficient gas sampling. With industry-leading sensitivity of 0.2 µL per hour, the Micro-Oxymax delivers highly accurate real-time gas concentration data, making it a gold standard in biodegradability and bioremediation research.
Our Modular Advantage
An advanced, flexible, and highly adaptable system designed to evolve with your research needs:
- Expandable to 80 test chambers to support multiple flask sizes.
- Flexible open/closed-loop configuration setup allows for adjustable flow control for diverse experiments.
- Gas sensors detect CO₂, O₂, CH₄, CO, H₂, H₂S, NO₂, N₂O, and more.
- Temperature and agitation control ensures stable and controlled environmental conditions.
- Condensing air dryers preserve and return condensate to the test flasks.
- Gas blending option unlocks respirometric measurements under modified atmospheric conditions
Coming Soon: Micro-Oxymax Software Updates & Redesign
- Streamlined data output and analysis for faster, more efficient testing.
- Sleek, modern hardware design for improved performance.
Key Features
Its modular design offers unparalleled flexibility, supporting single and multiple gas sensing for various experimental needs. Whether conducting tests in varied environments or requiring specific configurations, the Micro-Oxymax can meet your exact research requirements. The system is fully expandable, allowing seamless integration of additional features and chambers as your projects progress. With intuitive real-time data collection and analysis software, the Micro-Oxymax ensures precise, efficient results that scale with your research.
Features / Specifications
Gas Sensor Ranges:
- O₂: 19-21%, 0-100% (programmable for any range in 0-100%)
- CO₂: 0-2000 ppm, 0-1%, 0-3%, 0-10%, 0-30%, 0-100%
- CH₄: 0-1000 ppm, 0-1%, 0-5%, 0-30%, 0-100%
- H₂: 0-1000 ppm, 0-2000 ppm
- H₂S: 0-200 ppm
- N₂O: 150 ppm
- NO₂: 1000 ppm
- CO: 0-1000 ppm, 0-1%
Physical Dimensions:
- Sample Pump and Sensors: 13” x 11.5” x 12” (33 x 29 x 30 cm)
- Expansion Interface: 13” x 11.5” x 7.5” (33 x 29 x 19 cm)
- Controller: 17” x 17” x 7” (43 x 43 x 18 cm)
- CO2/CH4/H2S Sensor: 13” x 11.5” x 4” (33 x 29 x 19 cm)
- Paramagnetic O2 Sensor: 13” x 11.5” x 7.5” (33 x 29 x 19 cm)
Weight:
- Sample Pump and Sensors: 20 lbs (9 kg)
- Expansion Interface: 15 lbs (6.8 kg)
- CO2/CH4/H2S Sensor: 6 lbs (2.7 kg)
- Paramagnetic O2 Sensor: 6 lbs (2.7 kg)
- Electrochemical O2 Sensor: 12 lbs (5.5 kg)
The system supports configurations for the following test standards and applications:
- Marine Environment: ISO 22403, ASTM D6691, ASTM D7991
- Controlled Compost: EN 13432, ISO 14855, ASTM D5338
- Soil: ISO 17556, ASTM D5988
- Aqueous Medium: ISO 14851, ISO 14852, ISO 14853, OECD 301B, OECD 301F, OECD 301C, OECD 306 High Solids (Anaerobic): ISO 15985, ASTM D5511
- Other Applications: Sewage sludge measurements, Insect & small animal respirometry, Biomethane potential, Bioleaching, Fermentation, ¹³C isotope measurements
The Micro-Oxymax is the most sensitive respirometer that is highly adaptable and flexibile offering automated turnkey operation in a robust package.
Originally developed in response to remediation efforts following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, it was engineered to measure the respiration of living organisms with exceptional precision. Ideal for aerobic and anaerobic studies of solid and liquid samples, the Micro-Oxymax is modular and supports a wide range of applications, including biodegradability testing, bioremediation research, and other environmental monitoring.
Why the Micro-Oxymax
Our Industry-Leading Sensitivity
As an ultra-sensitive respirometer that detects CO₂ recovery as low as 0.03 mg per hour using a closed-loop measurement system, it isolates gas exchange from background noise, adjusts pressure and gas rates for precise measurements, and ensures minimal contamination through efficient gas sampling. With industry-leading sensitivity of 0.2 µL per hour, the Micro-Oxymax delivers highly accurate real-time gas concentration data, making it a gold standard in biodegradability and bioremediation research.
Our Modular Advantage
An advanced, flexible, and highly adaptable system designed to evolve with your research needs:
- Expandable to 80 test chambers to support multiple flask sizes.
- Flexible open/closed-loop configuration setup allows for adjustable flow control for diverse experiments.
- Gas sensors detect CO₂, O₂, CH₄, CO, H₂, H₂S, NO₂, N₂O, and more.
- Temperature and agitation control ensures stable and controlled environmental conditions.
- Condensing air dryers preserve and return condensate to the test flasks.
- Gas blending option unlocks respirometric measurements under modified atmospheric conditions
Coming Soon: Micro-Oxymax Software Updates & Redesign
- Streamlined data output and analysis for faster, more efficient testing.
- Sleek, modern hardware design for improved performance.
Key Features
Its modular design offers unparalleled flexibility, supporting single and multiple gas sensing for various experimental needs. Whether conducting tests in varied environments or requiring specific configurations, the Micro-Oxymax can meet your exact research requirements. The system is fully expandable, allowing seamless integration of additional features and chambers as your projects progress. With intuitive real-time data collection and analysis software, the Micro-Oxymax ensures precise, efficient results that scale with your research.
Applications
This state-of-the-art system integrates unique features for open circuit calorimetry and detailed subject analysis, providing a one-stop solution for simultaneous multi-parameter assessment of multiple test subjects. We build these systems semi-custom, so you can tailor your Oxymax-CLAMS system to include parameters specific to your research needs. The system is fully expandable, allowing for additional chambers and features for the evolving demands of your research. The included software, CI-Link, offers an intuitive interface for collecting and managing all experimental data. You can export the data quickly for analysis or publication. Researchers can view data graphically in real time without interrupting the experiment.
Features and Benefits
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Precision-Driven Calorimetry
The Universal Oxymax Indirect Calorimetry system delivers precise O2 and CO2 measurements in sealed metabolic cages with unmatched accuracy. Its modular design suits both large and small setups, while its fully automated, turnkey system ensures easy maintenance. With adjustable airflow from 0.5 to 3 liters/minute, Oxymax provides optimal resolution or certainty as needed. It captures O2 and CO2 data at 10Hz, offering high-resolution measurements to filter noise and achieve ultra-fast cage response times.
Oxymax supports 3 oxygen sensor types to cover all possible applications. A non-dispersive infrared CO2 sensor virtually eliminates drift, reducing recalibration needs.
Dependable Humidity Control for Consistent Results
Building on a tradition of precise humidity management, Oxymax features a cutting-edge 2-stage sample drying method that effectively eliminates all moisture from air samples. This advanced approach ensures that only oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen are measured, adhering to the best practices for indirect calorimetry in research and preventing humidity from skewing recorded oxygen values.
Rapidly removing humidity can pose a significant engineering challenge. While humidity correction—measuring and back-calculating humidity—may seem like a simpler alternative, it relies on stable temperatures and often fails during rapid fluctuations. In experiments with manipulated ambient temperatures, the humidity correction technique lacks proper temperature compensation to accurately track VO2, leading to questionable RERs. Oxymax’s precision-engineered drying method is the best on the market that ensures accurate oxygen tracking regardless of temperature changes, delivering reliable O2/CO2 measurements while matching or exceeding the temporal resolution and data density of humidity corrected systems.
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State-of-the-art Metabolic Cage Innovation
Experience the future of metabolic research with CLAMS-CN, a groundbreaking system that streamlines setup by eliminating tubes and wires. Its innovative design removes the risk of common setup errors, saving valuable time and effort, while simplifying the entire process for a faster, more efficient workflow. No more double-checking cables —just fast, efficient results.
The Connect Cage also offers the highest level of flexibility, with autoclaveable parts, in-cage measurements of temperature, humidity, pressure, and sound levels, and electronics safe for vapor sterilization (H2O2 or EthO). Its P3 biocontainment rating configuration makes it perfect for virology or gnotobiotic research, and it is suitable for hypoxia studies down to 10% oxygen. Elevate your research with precision and convenience, all in one innovative solution.
Innovative Energy Expenditure Analysis: Clambake
Traditional research often stops at measuring overall energy expenditure, but Clambake advances this approach. Developed by the Brestoff Lab at Washington University in St. Louis, this cutting-edge algorithm categorizes energy expenditure into four key components: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), Activity-Induced Energy Expenditure, and Adaptive Thermogenesis. By analyzing data from Oxymax-CLAMS, Clambake provides advanced insights into metabolic rates, deepening the understanding of fundamental energy metabolism processes.

Temperature and Light Control Solution
Designed for optimal space efficiency, our environmental control cabinet minimizes laboratory footprint while offering scalable sizes to fit your research needs. It provides precise temperature control ranging from 4°C – 35°C (with higher temperatures available upon request), ideal for studies involving temperature fluctuations. The cabinet features programmable LED strips for customizable light control, including color, intensity, and timing, and supports various day/night cycles and non-24-hour clocks to suit diverse experimental requirements.
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Product Description
The Comprehensive Lab Animal Monitoring System (Oxymax-CLAMS) is the premier solution for advanced laboratory research. This state-of-the-art system integrates an array of unique features for open circuit calorimetry and detailed subject analysis, providing a one-stop solution for simultaneous multi-parameter assessment of multiple test subjects at once. Built on a semi-custom basis, Oxymax-CLAMS can be tailored to include parameters specific to your research needs. The system is fully expandable, allowing for additional chambers and features for the evolving demands of your research. The included software, CI-Link, offers an intuitive interface for collecting and managing all experimental data, which can be easily exported for analysis or publication. Researchers can view data graphically in real-time without interrupting the experiment.
Cage Types

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Add-ons
High-Precision C13 Isotopic Analysis
Address your substrate utilization tracking challenges with our advanced solution for simultaneous measurement of 13CO2, O2, and CO2. By integrating Picarro's stable isotope analyzer with our CI-Link software, we offer a seamless in-line measurement system with great accuracy. Our solution ensures exceptional performance with >0.1 0/00 precision and a 200 ppb range, providing reliable data for your metabolic research needs. Additionally, the Picarro combustion module add-on enables precise recovery of carbon isotopic compositions from harvested tissues.
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Animal Welfare Monitoring: Adhering to Best Laboratory Principles
Introducing a new feature for the CLAMS-Connect environmental enclosure: in-cage cameras that deliver live feeds directly through CI-Link software. This enhancement allows for 24-hour welfare monitoring without needing to open the enclosure or rely on outdated methods like films or one-way glass. Stay tuned for upcoming push notifications for welfare alerts!
Accurate Heart Rate and Core Body Temperature Monitoring
Our telemetry system leverages advanced technology to provide precise biomarker data through a wireless, battery-less implant. Unlike traditional systems that require bulky batteries and frequent maintenance, our G2 Emitters—available for core body temperature and heart rate, or core temperature only—utilize wireless power transmitted via a custom antenna located less than 2mm beneath the cage floor. This design allows for extended use with a 2-year warranty, significantly reduces operational costs, and supports continuous high-density data collection without the limitations of battery life. While the system currently supports basic biomarkers, metabolic cages can be customized to integrate telemetry systems from other manufacturers for additional capabilities. Contact our sales team for more information.
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Advanced Liquid Consumption Measurement
For enhanced accuracy in lick detection, the Volumetric Drinking Monitor (VDM) provides microliter precision. Leveraging a patented conductivity principle for liquid delivery, the VDM performance is carefully calibrated to ensure optimal performance with a variety of liquids, including water, sucrose, and even specialized solutions like Ensure. This precise calibration guarantees reliable and consistent results across different research applications.
Advanced Methane Detection
Columbus Instruments has teamed up with Horiba, a leader in low-range methane detection, to provide integrated methane analysis in conjunction with oxygen and carbon dioxide measurements for the Oxymax system. This enhancement effectively addresses the challenges of researching methane and hydrogen-producing microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract of rodents.
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We designed the versatile Exer 3/6 and the advanced Metabolic Treadmill to enhance exercise physiology and metabolism research. The Exer 3/6 Treadmill offers adjustable speed, incline settings, unparalleled control, and flexibility for diverse experimental needs. The Metabolic Treadmill integrates real-time metabolic analysis, allowing for simultaneous measurement of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production during exercise. It is ideal for studies on energy expenditure and respiratory exchange. Together, these treadmills provide comprehensive solutions for researchers exploring metabolism and exercise performance with precision and efficiency.
Applications
Treadmill Types
Exer 3/6
Versatile multi-lane treadmill for general exercise and comparison.
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Inclination
- Automatic: -16° to 25° with 0.1° increments
- Manual: -15° to 25° with 5° increments
Belt Speed
- 1.5 m/min to 102.3 m/min
- Acceleration
- Adjustable 0.0 to 25.5 m/min²
Calibration
- Optional automatic belt speed and odometer distance calibration
Stimulus Options
- Electrical: Up to 2.34 mA, 200 ms pulse, 1-3 times/second
- Air-Puff: Up to 40 PSI, 200 ms pulse, 1-3 times/second
- Acceleration
- Adjustable 0.0 to 25.5 m/min²
Stimulus Repetition Rate
- 1, 2, or 3 Hz
Stimulus Voltage
- 117 VAC, 50/60 Hz
Stimulus Current
- Up to 2.34 mA
Dimensions
- 83.8 x 50.8 x 50.8 cm (33.0” x 20.0” x 20.0”)
Metabolic Only Lanes
- 1-4 individually enclosed per motor controller
- Enclosure Dimensions
ExerGait
Belt Speed Range
- 5.0 to 170.5 cm/s
Dimensions
- 69.3 x 26.7 x 63.5 cm (27.3” x 10.5” x 25.0”)
Light Box Dimensions
- 88.9 x 46.4 x 33.1 cm (35.0” x 18.2” x 13.0”)
Metabolic

- Single lane isolated treadmill for paired exercise and metabolic studies.
- Designed with a clear belt and green backdrop for video observation.
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Micro-Oxymax