PUSHPENDRA KUMAR PATEL*

Short Description on
Organ Bath Assemblies
https://www.facebook.com/pharmavideo/

Figure- solution/SOB*- Labelled diagram of student organ bath

Introduction- Student organ bath or simply organ bath is an apparatus widely used in
pharmacology laboratory and various educational Institutes, research and development sector.
Organ bath is not a single apparatus but it is a combination of many small units which
include-

1. Bath chamber
2. Organ tube
3. Glass coil
4. PSS reservoir
5. Heater
6. Thermostat
7. Stirrer or mixer
8. Oxygen tube
9. Aerator
10. Leaver
11. Load
12. Sherrington rotating drum (Kymograph Drum)
13. Kymograph Paper

Use- When we have to perform the invitro studies of any given drug, we need to isolate
the organ from suitable experimental animal. Once organ is isolated it should be
immediately transferred into physiological salt solution (PSS). Organ bath is having
several important component and assembly as mentioned above; all are equally important
and have individualized functions. Once organ is placed into PSS other arrangement are
made. These include-

Page | 1

https://www.facebook.com/pharmavideo/
*This notes and diagram is made by solution pharmacy, exclusively for pharmacy students
 1. Cleaning the organ bath assembly
2. Attaching or arranging all small hooks, clamp and water pipes.
3. Fixing the lever and stick the kymograph paper on rotating drum.
4. Kymograph paper should be either smoked or have to use colour ink at the end of
lever.
5. Fill the water into 2/3 portion of organ bath or up to suitable length depending
upon the unit of organ bath.
6. Switch on the mains and heater
7. Wash the organ tube with PSS once
8. Fill the PSS into organ bath and hold it.
9. Start providing oxygen by aerator machine
10. Attach the aeration tube into the organ bath
11. Now tie the tissue of isolated organ which you have to study (This process may be
modified)
12. Tie the other end of thread into writing lever
13. Attach the lever with rotating drum and wait till resting or constant line appears
14. Inject the drug into organ bath and carefully examine the changes in muscle
strength by observing kymograph paper.
15. Release the clamp of organ bath to let the PSS flow outside the organ tube if you
want to reduce the strength of dose, if you want to increase the dose, no need to
change the PSS. (It is for same drug)
16. For every new drug injection the old PSS must be change.
17. Ensure the temperature of water bath; it should not increase than optimum
temperature.

Description of various parts

1. Bath chamber- Bath chamber is made of good quality plastic (PVC) it is of two types-
Single unit and double unit. In single unit there is only one place for organ
tube, thus you can perform one study at one time, or you need to wash the
tissue with PSS before changing drug. Double unit organ bath is having
two holding place for organ tube, that’s why we can perform two studies at
same time. It depend on you weather you want to check the effect of
various dose of same drug or you can check two separate drug’s effect on
muscle. At the bottom of bath chamber there is two outlets, one is for
drainage of water and second is for the PSS.

2. Organ Tube- Organ tube is the soul of organ bath because the king of experiment lies or
rest in this chamber. Organ tube is a glass tube having two sides opening.
Out of which one is for expelling used PSS and second is for inlet of PSS.
PSS is not filled directly from the top of organ tube, but it is filled from
this side inlet unit.

Page | 2

https://www.facebook.com/pharmavideo/
*This notes and diagram is made by solution pharmacy, exclusively for pharmacy students
3. Glass coil- Glass coil is coil like structure (As name indicate) its function is very simple. If
we supply PSS directly to the organ tube from straight pipe, its
temperature may not be equal to outer temperature that is about 370C, so
the PSS is supplied through this pipe, by doing so the PSS take a longer
time to reach organ tube and contact time of PSS increase with water
available in the bath chamber and this the temperature of PSS slightly
increase and matched with outer temperature.

4. PSS reservoir- PSS reservoir is a simple vessel which holds PSS to be supplied to organ in
organ tube. PSS is essential solution containing all electrolytes which are
necessary for the intact tissue. These include maintenance of is tonicity,
conductivity and contractility etc. Example of PSS includes- (1) Frog
ringer solution (2) Ringer or Ringer Locke solution (3) De Jalon solution
(4) Tyroid solution (5) Kerbs-Henslet solution.

5. Heater- Heater is heating devices which maintain the desired (370C) temperature of
water inside the organ bath. Optimum temperature is important for the
tissue attached in a organ bath, because this help to maintain its live
condition. And the contraction or relaxation of muscle may affected by
variation in temperature.

6. Thermostat- Thermostat is very basic devise available in every home. The objective of
Thermostat is to maintain the temperature we have set. Thermostat is
based on auto cut principle. When the temperature exceed from set
temperature, it automatically stop the heater, and once when temperature
start falling it again start the heater so that water start heating.

7. Stirrer or Mixer- Stirrer is a device or part of devise which is used to homogenize the
temperature of water inside the organ bath. If we don’t use stirrer the
temperature of water may vary part to part and this is not suitable for
tissue. So the basic work of mixer is to mix the heat throughout the water
bath.

8. Oxygen Tube- Oxygen tube is one of the most important parts of student organ bath.
Oxygen tube carries oxygen directly to the tissue tied. Tissue is tied at the
end of oxygen tube and it gets oxygen form this tube which is fitted to
aerator at the other end. One end of aerator tube is consisting of thin metal
wire and in this metal wire we tied the tissue and the other end of tissue
will be tied with the lever. Any changes in the tissue will be recorded in
the kymograph paper by the lever.

9. Aerator- This is a common device used to supply the vital air that is oxygen. It
generates oxygen and pump to the aeration tube where our tissue is
located. Aerator is also used in the aquarium and the purpose is same, to
generate and supply oxygen to the tissue.

Page | 3

https://www.facebook.com/pharmavideo/
*This notes and diagram is made by solution pharmacy, exclusively for pharmacy students
10. Lever- This is the main part of any organ bath. Lever is a simple writing device
which records every movement or changes in the strength of muscle by
drug we applied. One end of the lever is attached to the tissue and when
we inject the drug into the organ tube, its effect can be easily seen in
muscle, either in form of contraction or relaxation. When muscle get
contracted it pull the thread and thread pulls the lever and it may seen by
upward graph and the opposite is applicable for muscle relaxation. There
are various types of lever available- (1) Simple lever (2) Frontal lever (3)
Starling’s heart lever (4) Brodie’s Universal lever

(1) Diagram of Frontal Lever

(2) Frontal Lever

(3) Diagram of Starling’s heart lever

11. Load- Load is nothing but an object which provide optimum load and tension to
the lever so that proper recording will be achieved.

12. Sherrington rotating drum (Kymograph Drum) - It is another main parts or assembly
of student organ bath. It is a rotating devise, which keep rotating and recording the changes in
tension of lever. It has several basic units’ like- gear and clutch which allow us to set the
desired RPM (rotation per minutes) at the back of this there is a lock which lock and unlock
the machine. In front of the devise there is counter which count the RPM by touching the
other hand. Kymograph is attached with kymograph paper, this is used either by coating with
smoke or by using colour pen.

References- All materials and notes are made by solution pharmacy

Page | 4
https://www.facebook.com/pharmavideo/
*This notes and diagram is made by solution pharmacy, exclusively for pharmacy students