Equipment: AIMS™ equipment comes with a 3 year warranty and is made to work in a lab environment. Equipment is designed to be easily set-up, adjusted properly, and cleaned efficient to minimize animal cross contamination and to make tattooing an efficient process. Foot pedal activation is also employed to minimize hand fatigue. All equipment servicing is done by AIMS. If necessary, AIMS™ will provide loaner equipment to be used, in the event that repairs are needed. AIMS™ equipment can also be used under aseptic conditions. Customers will never have to be concerned about the operation of their tattoo equipment. AIMS™ can provide documentation to meet GLP requirements.

Pigment Safety: AIMS™ tattoo pigments have been demonstrated to be safe and nontoxic. AIMS™ tattoo pigments have been used in all animal models including transgenic, nude, and scid with no adverse reactions. Customers can rely on receiving the best quality tattoo pigment made for lab animal tattooing. You will not contaminate other lab animals in your facility.

Tattoo Needles: AIMS™ tattoo needles are made of 401 stainless steel and silver solder. They are provided to customers pre-sterilized and ready for tattooing. These needles have been developed to minimize animal pain and tissue damage during rodent tail tattooing. Proper needles allow for humane and rapid animal tattooing. Customers can be assured that tails are not damaged and that the most humane needles are employed when using AIMS™ tattoo needles.

Tattoo Training: AIMS™ is the only company that provides hands-on tattoo training and certification programs at customer facilities. Training sessions can be purchased at the time of a system purchase and by arrangement as necessary there after. Customers are taught humane tattooing techniques developed by AIMS™ that will quickly produce dark, permanent tattoos. This service provides customers with documentation for regulatory agencies (FDA, USDA, USEP, AALAC, AALAS, etc.) that are concerned with experimental quality and the humane care and use of research animals. Customers have the satisfaction of knowing that they have the highest quality tattoo identification program available that is capable of rigorous audits by external agencies. AIMS™ tattoo program provides tattoos that do not fade.

AIMS™ equipment, supplies, and services are priced above other tattoo systems that are available from general equipment distributors. However, over the years we have learned that the superior quality of our identification program (not just equipment but custom supplies and education) offers customers a significant cost savings as they employ the AIMS™ program in their facility. Thus, the higher initial set-up costs are quickly recovered as you use the AIMS™ animal tattoo identification program. The following are some examples of customer cost recovery.

What sets AIMS™ apart from other vendors?

• AIMS™ equipment is significantly more dependable, easy to operate and easy to clean when compared with non-AIMS™ systems. Thus, you will not waste personnel time keeping your equipment operating. You will always have equipment that works when it is needed.
• Tattooing with AIMS™ equipment and procedures is quick and easy. Our customers routinely tattoo 100-120 mice per hour with three digits. Efficient tattooing reduces personnel costs.
• No re-tattooing. Tattoo fading is a major issue with other tattoo units, because of the equipment design and inferior quality inks. Animals tattooed with AIMS™ equipment and supplies have tattoos that are permanent and easy to read for the life of the animal. Thus, you will have lower personnel costs when compared with non-AIMS™ systems since you will not have to re-tattoo animals. Tattoo fading (ID failure) is also unacceptable in labs operating within GLP. Quality tattoos also increase the quality of customer experiments.
• Understanding how to tattoo properly with the right equipment saves personnel time. There is no guessing with AIMS. We teach our customers "how to tattoo properly" with the best equipment. This saves personnel time and provides for the humane treatment of animals. Our training program also teaches customers "how to solve problems", should they ever have a performance issue with their tattoos.
• If you need identification support, AIMS™ is always available and we can save you time and money by providing you access to over 25 years of experience in lab animal identification. If you have a question, concern, or need advice on lab animal tattoo identification, we are always available at no additional cost.
• AIMS™ animal tattoo techniques and processes are accepted world wide. You will not need to spend excessive time explaining your decision to use another system nor will you have to spend time explaining poor quality or missing tattoos. This reduces employee stress during QA audits and facility inspections.