Scientifica PatchStar micromanipulator for electrophysiology

The PatchStar micromanipulator, from Scientifica, is suitable for electrophysiological recordings, patch clamping, sharp electrode recording, microinjection and stretch testing. The device’s stable design and ultra-quiet electronics mean users should be able to perform long-term patch clamp experiments and record even the smallest signals.

The product’s compact footprint and versatility mean it can be configured to fit around any sample, at any angle, in vitro or in vivo. Its intelligent design and automated control enable the user to change and position their electrodes quickly and easily with super-smooth precision. It is designed with high-quality materials and assembly for the repeatable placement of recording and stimulating electrodes — crucial for electrophysiology experiments — and can be mounted next to both upright and inverted microscopes.

Benefits include less than 1 µm drift over 2 h for long-term experiments and 20 nm electronic resolution for absolute positioning, with three orthogonal axes and a fourth virtual axis. The minimum speed is 1 µm/s and the maximum speed is 4 mm/s. It is easily switchable between left- and right-handed configurations and is electrically quiet for recordings of extremely small signals without having to switch off the motors. It runs on LinLab software for Windows.