BSC1
Brain Slice Heated Chamber (Interface & Submerged) |
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This
Brain Slice Chamber was designed to maintain isolated,
living tissues in vitro and allow stable
electrophysiological recordings to be made from the
preparation. Both "interface" and
"submerged" methods of maintaining slices can be
achieved with the same Chamber without any additions, simply
by altering the fluid level by means of a screw adjustment
device on the chamber. Temperature is
maintained by the PTC03 temperature controller.
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BSC2
Brain Slice Heated Chamber (Interface) |
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- "Interface"
method of slice maintenance.
- Dual feed channels for
perfusion solution.
- Use entire surface for
multiple slices or templates.
- Single and dual well
templates, other designs available upon request.
- Single well template has
provision for temperature probe and ground wire.
- Proportional temperature
controller (PTCO3) with low noise performance used for
heating.
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BSC3
Brain Slice Heated Chamber (4 or 6 Channel Interface & Submerged) |
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- Four (BSC3-4) or Six
(BSC3-6) channel slice chambers.
- Slices supported on removable
insert with nylon net.
- Submerged and interface
modes by adjusting fluid level.
- Proportional Temperature
Controller (PTC03) with low noise performance used for
heating.
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NEW MC
Membrane Chamber (Submerged Brain Slices) |
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The MC is a new design of in
vitro slice recording chamber (Hill & Greenfield 2010).
Brain slices are submerged on a completely flat,
transparent semi-permeable membrane. This offers for the
first time ideal conditions for inverted microscopy of in
vitro preparations. The utilisation of a membrane with a
high molecular weight cut off ensures all nutrients and
oxygen can flow freely for optimum perfusion.
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Upright or inverted
microscope access to a well perfused, perfectly flat and
transparent in vitro slice preparation.
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Slice viability increased
beyond 16 hours as demonstrated with LFP recordings.
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High mechanical stability,
high flow rate and Bernoulli effect to optimise nutrient
access for slices.
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Quick replacement of
membrane discs and chamber designed for easy cleaning
Hill, M.R.H. & Greenfield, S.A.,
2011 The Membrane Chamber: A new type of in vitro
recording chamber Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 195
(1). pp. 15-23. ISSN 0165-0270.
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MS1
Microscope Stage Chamber (Submerged) |
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The
MS1 chamber has been designed for use with fixed-stage
upright-type microscopes. The chamber is the profiled
contour that allows the microscope objective to sweep
across the preparation when changing magnification,
without having to adjust the focusing. The
design also allows for movement of objectives that swing
from front to back. Solutions can be pre-heated
prior to entry into the chamber. We can also supply
microscope stage adaptors for popular makes and model -
just ask for a price if you are interested.
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MS2
Microscope Stage Chamber (Submerged) |
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The
MS2 chamber is similar to the MS1 but has a rectangular
format to make room for an optional, integral in-line
perfusion solution heater, the MH02. This heater is used
in conjunction with the PTC03 for providing temperature
control to the preparation. The MH02 can be removed for
easy cleaning of parts.
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MS3
Microscope Stage Chamber (Interface) |
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The
MS3 chamber design is based on our BSC2 chamber and allows
interface methods of slice maintenance at room temperature
on a compound microscope stage.
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Slices
supported in removable template
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Interchangeable
templates allow single or dual channel operation
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Template
design with diamond shaped flow cell for perfusion of
slices with a small dead-space.
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Custom
designed templates available.
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Coverslip
glass base allows for high quality optical imaging
with normal condenser optics.
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MS4
Microscope Stage Chamber (Submerged) |
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The
MS-4 chamber has been designed for use with all inverted
microscope stages. The simple design consists of an input
and output channel arranged so that the glass coverslip
area remains filled with perfusion solution. The slices
rest on the glass coverslip arranged to be at the focal
plane of microscope objective and access for condenser
optics from above. Adaptor plates are available for
various microscope stages.
Perfusion
solution enters from one side via a stainless steel tube
and exits through an ’L’ shaped well in which a
movable tube attached to a pump / suction line adjusts the
fluid level. Solutions can be pre-warmed before entering
the chamber with our Mini Heating Module MH-02. Perfusion
solution forms a pool around the preparation whilst being
refreshed by virtue of the inlet and exit ports.
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NEW MS5
Coverslip Chamber - In Development (Submerged) |
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Coming Soon
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PTC03
Proportional Temperature Controller |
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The
PTC03 is a temperature control unit for use in conjunction
with our brain slice chambers, perfusion solution heaters
and an increasing range of other systems currently under
development . The required temperature is set using the
front control panel. Provision is also made to display the
temperature from a monitor sensor if this is being used.
At a setting of 40 degrees, with an ambient of 20 degrees
centigrade full control is reached within 10 minutes when
used with our submerged and interface mode slice chambers.
The set temperature must exceed ambient by at least 2
degrees centigrade.
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Very
low noise direct current output
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High
output power for rapid heating
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Compatible
with our range of heating devices
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Temperature
control below ambient with optional Peltier Controller
(PC01, see below).
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PC01
Brain Slice Chamber Peltier Controller |
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The
PC01 is used in conjunction with a Brain Slice Chamber and
the Proportional Temperature Controller PTC03. Its
function is to provide a constant feed of coolant to an
immersed tube which spirals in the the distilled water
reservoir forming the base of the slice chamber. The
coolant in the tube is supplied from a heat exchanger that
is in contact with the "cold side" of a Peltier
element which is in turn cooled on the "hot
side" by a second heat sink fed with tap water.
Having lowered the temperature of the distilled water in
the chamber base, the temperature control is then provided
in the normal way by the Proportional Temperature
Controller (PTC03) via the heating element and temperature
sensor also located in the base of the slice chamber. The
PC01 system has an integral water pump to circulate the
coolant to the slice chamber.
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MH02
Mini Heating Module |
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This
module is designed to heat any perfusion fluid during its
passage through a stainless steel tube heat exchanger and
intended for use on the microscope stage chambers. The
heating element is controlled by the Proportional
Temperature Controller, PTC03. This system is able to
provide temperature control from ambient to 55 deg. C for
perfusion rates ranging from 1ml/min to 6ml/min. The main
body is 27mm square and 15mm in height. This compact
design makes the MH02 suitable for use with other
independent slice and organ baths where space is
restricted.
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MC01
Mini Heating/Cooling Module |
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Similar
in construction to the MH02, this module is able to heat
or cool perfusion fluid. Temperature can be controlled
over the range 15 to 55 deg. C for any perfusion fluid
during its passage through a stainless steel tube heat
exchanger sandwiched between a heating element and a
Peltier effect heat pump element. The heating element is
controlled by the Proportional Temperature Controller
PTC03 and the Peltier element is powered by the Peltier
Controller, PC02. A connection to a water supply is
required for operation of the heat pump. With a flow rate
of 2ml/min through the MC01, a typical temperature jump
from 35 to 20 deg. C can be achieved in two minutes.
Sensors and an alarm system guard against over-heating and
failure of the water supply to the MC01.
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PC02
Mini Heating/Cooling Coolant Circulator System |
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The Peltier Controller PC02 is dedicated for use with the
MC01. It effectively allows the PTC03 to provide a working
temperature range that is below ambient. Depending on the
temperature range and the rapidity of temperature change
required, the power setting is chosen and the unit
switched on to start the cooling process.
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BSK1
Brain Slice Keeper |
BSK Keeper
BSKH Holder (optional) |
The
Brain Slice Keeper has been designed to pre-incubate brain
slices prior to transfer into recording chambers. It
consists of a pair of closely fitting acrylic rings,
between which is wedged a sheet of nylon netting.
In
operation, it is totally immersed in an ACSF-filled
Buchner funnel or a specifically designed BSK Holder (BSKH,
optionally available from Digitimer) to which an O2/CO2 gas mixture is being
supplied. The bubbles rising from below saturate the ACSF and provide
constant circulation of medium. The lower ring carries a
deflector shield, so bubbles are prevented from being
trapped under the slices. Slices remain viable for many
hours in these conditions.
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BSK2
Low Volume Brain Slice Keeper |
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The
BSK2 is a standalone low volume (15ml) slice incubator designed
to hold a few slices during incubation with dyes, high cost drugs
or incubation media in short supply. The base of the chamber
incorporates a port for gassing with O2/CO2.
The chamber has
a small netted insert for placing the slices and a lid.
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BSK4
Four Well Brain Slice Keeper |
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The BSK4 Brain Slice Keeper
has been designed to pre-incubate a large number brain
slices prior to transfer into recording chambers or for
the incubation of preparations in experimental test media.
Based on the BSK1, it consists of four closely fitting
acrylic rings, located in a circular manifold, between
which is wedged a sheet of nylon netting.
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NEW BSK5
Interface Mode Brain Slice Keeper (2 or 4 well) |
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The BSK5 is available in two
versions with either 2 (BSK5-2) or 4 wells (BSK5-4). Based on the
BSK4, the BSK5 holds slices in interface rather than
submerged mode which may be preferred for users of our
interface brain slice recording chambers.
- Slices maintained for
many hours at an interface with incubating media
- Four separate rings
allow separation of different types of preparations
- Slices supported on a
quick change nylon net with optional attached porous
membrane
- Modular design simple to
set up and maintain
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NEW BSK-AM
Heated Brain Slice Keeper for AlphaMed Science Array |
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The
Brain Slice Keeper AM has been designed to pre-incubate
brain slices prior to transfer into recording chambers.
The main body of the BSK-AM comprises a chamber fitted
with stainless steel heater and sensor probes to maintain
the desired incubating temperature, regulated by our
temperature controller PTC03.
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Pre-incubate slices at
controlled temperatures prior to transfer to recording
chamber
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Inlet and outlet ports used
to supply ACSF to Alpha MED Sciences multi-electrode
array probes
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Simple to set up and
maintain, modular design allows quick cleaning and
assembly
Quick-change nylon
net
The BSK-AM also features
components which allow integration with the Alpha MED
sciences products.
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NEW
TC-KG
Tissue Chamber - In Development |
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Coming Soon
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