The BSC3 Brain Slice Heated Chamber can be supplied with two (BSC3-2), three (BSC3-3), four (BSC3-4) or six (BSC3-6) channel slice chambers.  This slice recording chamber is based on the BSC1 and BSC2 chambers with both “interface” and “submerged” methods of maintaining slices. Two, three, four or six separate chambers are machined from one acrylic block for simultaneous perfusion via separate solution lines. As with BSC1 and BSC2, temperature control is made possible by a proportional heating unit, the PTC03. Alternatively, we offer a more economical temperature controller (PTC-04) for non-electrophysiological pharmacology experiments not requiring low-noise performance.

The chamber is constructed from clear acrylic having a diameter of 130mm, overall height is 70mm and the base plate is 130mm in diameter. Slices reside on a nylon net held in place by a close fitting removable insert. Pre-oxygenated medium enters the main body of the chamber through fine bore tubing which spirals in heated distilled water located in the base of the chamber and enters the upper part of the chamber directly into the feed for each of the chambers.  Depending on whether submerged or interface mode preparations are required, the height of the perfusion fluid is adjusted at the exit well through use of a variable angle stainless steel needle. In the case of interface preparations, the high oxygen tension is maintained by bubbling a  95% oxygen,  5% carbon dioxide gas mixture through a sintered bubbler located in the lower heated portion of the chamber.  This moistened and warmed gas mixture enters the upper part of the chamber via “port holes” and is then deflected by a standard rectangular glass coverslip across  the centrally located slice preparation. The temperature in the upper chamber is maintained by ensuring that the medium and moistened gas mixture enter at the required temperature.  This is dependent on the temperature of the lower chamber body which is warmed by a heating element controlled by the Proportional Temperature Controller, PTC03 or PTC04