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The
chamber consists of a robust acid resistant
polycarbonate frame whose floor is formed by a
standard 22 x 40mm coverslip attached by vacuum
grease or glue. The use of #1 or #1.5 thickness
coverslips in the chamber floor enables use with
high N.A. objectives on inverted microscopes.
The 14.5mm circular central working surface of
the main bath accommodates 12mm coverslips and
anchors for culture work or a full rat brain
slice and harp. This wide working area combined
with beveled 3mm high edges is ideally suited to
upright microscopes employed in brain slice
electrophysiology. This design permits low angle
(down to 25°)
access for multiple electrodes approaching the
bath over 240°
of its circumference. Perfusion input and output
ports in the chamber allow direct attachment of
tubing without the need for space-occupying
magnets and tube holders. Standard 1.57 outer
diameter/1.14mm inner diameter tubing is
recommended for high perfusion rates
(2-10ml/min) or narrow bore 1.52 outer
diameter/0.86mm inner diameter tubing is
recommended for slower perfusion rates
(0.5-3ml/min).The level of the bath can be
adjusted with the level of the outflow port tube
which sucks from an outflow ramp. A 5.5x6mm bath
between the main bath and the outflow port
allows placement of a variety of reference
electrodes. The eye shaped main bath is
optimized for laminar flow perfusion. The
chamber can be fitted to existing chamber
holders from Warner (series 20) or Bioscience
Tools (PLD-A) or can sold together with a 3mm
thick 80mm diameter circular polycarbonate
holder fitting Olympus stages (other diameter on
request). A 10 mm high ring around the
holder’s outer circumference guards against
flooding. |
