New Multi-Electrode Array Amplifier

AutoMate Scientific and Alpha MED Scientific announce the latest generation of the MED64 multi-electrode array amplifier. Featuring the lowest impedance planar microelectrodes (typically 10kOhm at 1kHz), the new MED64 system offers 1µV r.m.s. noise -- lower than any other commercial multi-electrode array system.

The superior signal-to-noise ratio enables discrimination of particularly small signals such as single-unit activities from acute brain slices. The high capacitance of our unique planar platinum-black-coated microelectrodes (50,000pF for a 50 x 50µm microelectrode) enables stimulation at high frequencies and large current amplitudes (up to 200µA / 0.2 ms). Stimulus artifacts return to 0µV within 0.5ms at non-stimulated channels, eliminating the need for blanking circuitry. Stimulation through the amplifier's two built-in stimulators is now controlled by software, allowing quick selection of stimulus sites from any of the 64 electrodes in a probe.

Additional hardware improvements include: 1) Simplified USB connection. 2) Upgraded 16 bit A/D converter resolution. 3) Inclusion of an analog low-pass filter (with cutoff frequency selectable in software) in addition to the pre-existing analog high-pass filter. Multiple types of digital filters are also available in the Mobius recording software. 4) Availability of 2- and 4-well probes for parallel sample processing. and 5) Capability for future upgrade to an 8-head multiplexed system.

A Windows 7 (64 bit) version of our Mobius recording and analysis software is now available for new and old systems. Mobius is available in packages custom-tailored to particular applications, including: evoked potentials (fEPSP, LTP, LTD, paired-pulse), neuronal spike detection, sorting and frequency analysis, and cardiomyocyte signals (waveform/QT and frequency analysis).