A free, open reference design for a titanium head-fixation headplate (headbar) used in head-fixed in-vivo neuroscience — two-photon / wide-field imaging and electrophysiology in mice.
Download the STEP model, adapt it to your setup and have it machined — at any shop, or by us.
A flat, symmetric titanium headplate with:
- a central aperture for optical / craniotomy access to the window,
- two side wings that clamp into a head-fixation holder,
- rounded corners and deburred edges for safe handling.
It is intentionally a generic reference — a starting point you adjust to your own rig, not a one-size-fits-all part.
| Overall size | 25.6 × 11.4 × 2.0 mm |
| Mass | ~0.63 g |
| Material | Titanium Grade 2 (commercially pure) |
| Finish | As-machined (polishing optional) |
| Type | Mouse head-fixation headplate — central aperture, two clamping wings |
| File | What it is |
|---|---|
bxtlab-headbar-v1.step |
3D model (STEP) — import and edit in any CAD |
bxtlab-headbar-v1.png |
Studio render of the machined part |
Machined from Grade 2 (commercially pure) titanium for biocompatibility and low weight. Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V) is an option where extra stiffness at low thickness is wanted — adjust thickness accordingly. Cut from titanium plate on a multi-axis CNC, then deburr and optionally polish. The 2.0 mm reference thickness is a starting point: thin it for lower weight, or increase it for stiffness.
Typical changes to make it fit your setup:
- resize the central aperture to your craniotomy / imaging window,
- match the wing spacing and hole pattern to your head-fixation holder,
- tune the overall footprint and mass to the animal and rig.
Validate any modified design for your own application and for your institution's animal-welfare and ethical requirements.
Released under CC BY 4.0 — free to use, modify and share, including commercially, with credit to bxtlab / BXTech s.r.o. See LICENSE.
Designed and machined by bxtlab (BXTech s.r.o.), a Czech precision CNC shop. We machine titanium headbars and custom research implants from your drawing or 3D model — prototypes to small series, made and inspected in-house, shipped across the EU.
- Web: https://bxtlab.eu/headbar.html
- Quote: https://bxtlab.eu/#contact
- Email: info@bxtlab.eu