npi Turbo TEC Series

TURBO TEC systems are accurate and extremely fast voltage and current clamp amplifiers for studying large membrane currents. They are based on the standard two electrode approach. TEC systems are ideal for recordings from oocytes as well as for recording from other excitable tissues with relatively large membrane currents such as vertebrate and invertebrate neurons and muscle cells. A significant improvement over other two electrode clamp amplifiers is that the TEC systems fully compensate the current injecting microelectrode and need NO virtual ground for recording membrane currents. TEC systems can be operated with a reduced bandwidth of 10Hz to allow simultaneous single-channel recordings with patch-clamp amplifiers. All amplifiers are equipped with two headstages. The standard output voltage is ±150V. All systems include four modes of operation, many automatic functions, protection circuits, versatile I/O signal conditioning units, and digitally controlled operation.

Turbo TEC-03X

The TEC-05X is a universal two electrode clamp system for recordings muscle cells and large neurons, but also from Xenopus oocytes. It allows the use of high resistance electrodes.

Turbo TEC-05X

The TEC-10CX is npi's most sophisticated two-electrode amplifier for Xenopus oocytes. Multiple elements for controlling parameters of voltage clamp and a transient compensation unit allow experiments to take place with maximum clamp speed and accuracy.

Turbo TEC-10X

All TEC systems can be completed with a Series Resistance Measurement Instrument for measuring series resistance in two electrode voltage clamp recordings.

Specifications

MODES of OPERATION
RPel: Potential Electrode Resistance Test; CC: Current Clamp Mode; VC: Voltage Clamp Mode; RCel: Current Electrode Resistance Test; BR: Bridge Mode (optional, TEC-05X); MODE selection: two toggle switches (TEC-03X, TEC-05X), or push buttons (TEC-10CX) , LED indicators; remote selection by TTL inputs, optionally controllable by software.

HEADSTAGES
Potential headstage: Operating voltage ±15 V; Size (approx.): 65x25x25mm, holding bar diameter 8 mm, length 10 cm; Electrode connector: BNC with driven shield, grounded enclosure; Ground connector: 2.4 mm connector, 1 mm or headstage enclosure; Reference connector (bath): gold-plated SUBCLIC, grounded shield; Input resistance: >10E+13 Ω; Differential input (for suppression of bath potentials):
cmr> 80 dB.

Current headstage (15 V, 45 V): Operating voltage: ± 15 V, ± 45 V; Size (approx.): same as potential headstage, Electrode connector: BNC with driven shield; Ground: 2.4 mm connector, 1 mm or headstage enclosure; Input resistance: >10E+12 Ω (internally trimmable); Driven shield range: ± 45 V.

Current headstage (150 V, 225 V):Operating voltage: ±150 V (standard) or ±225 V; Size (approx.): 100x50x30 mm with heat sink 100x50x20 mm (150 V) or 225x40x60 mm (225 V), grounded enclosure, holding bar diameter 8 mm, length 10 cm (isolated from ground, standard system only); Electrode connector: gold-plated SUBVIS connector, grounded shield; Input resistance: >10E+12 Ω (internally trimmable); Power dissipation: 6 W (standard) or 20 W (225 V).

Current range:
450 nA / 100 MΩ or 4.5 µA / 10 MΩ (45 V),
150 µA / 1 MΩ (150 V), 220 µA / 1 MΩ (225 V); Current range switch (optional): x2, x5, x10, or x0.1, x0.2, 0.5, x1.

Bandwidth and Speed of Response:
Full power bandwidth (Re = 0): >100 kHz; Rise time
(10 % - 90 %, current pulse of 100 µA applied to
Re = 1 MΩ)

Current Electrode Parameter Controls:
Offset compensation: ten-turn control, ±1200 mV; Capacity compensation (optional, TEC-05X): range 0 - 30 pF, ten-turn potentiometer; Leakage current: adjustable to zero with ten-turn control.

Potential Electrode Parameter Controls:
Offset compensation: ±200mV, ten-turn control; Capacity compensation: range 0 - 30 pF, ten-turn control.

POTENTIAL OUTPUTS:
Potential electrode: two outputs, sensitivity x10 mV and x40 mV, voltage range ± 15V; Current electrode: sensitivity x10 mV, voltage range ± 15 V; DISPLAY (switch selected): XXX mV.

AUDIO MONITOR: Pitch correlated with potential signals, switch selected.

OSCILLATION SHUT-OFF:
Turns off current injection and capacity compensation, function indicated by red/green LED, disabled/off/reset switch, threshold set with linear control (0 - 1200 mV).

ELECTRODE RESISTANCE TEST (both electrodes):
100 mV/MΩ, obtained by application of square current pulses ±10 nA, display XX.X MΩ, selected automatically.

CURRENT OUTPUTS:
Uncompensated output signal: sensitivity 0.1 V/µA, voltage range ±15 V; Compensated/filtered output: sensitivity:
 0.1 V...10 V/µA in 1-2-5 steps, selected by rotary switch or software control (optional), with lowpass Bessel filter, sensitivity monitor: +1 V...+7 V, 1V/switch position; DISPLAY: X.XX µA.

CURRENT SIGNAL PROCESSING:
Transient compensation unit (TEC-10CX): three overlapping time ranges (max: T1 = 3.3 ms, T2 = 330 µs, T3 = 33 µs), time constants set with ten-turn controls, amplitudes set with one-turn linear controls, leakage compensation max.
1 µA.

CURRENT OUTPUT FILTERS:
Two-pole (TEC-03X, TEC-05X, standard) or four-pole (TEC-03X-BF and TEC-05X-BF and TEC-10CX) lowpass Bessel filter with 16 corner frequencies, 20 Hz - 20 kHz; frequency monitor: -8 V...+7 V, 1 V/switch position, optionally controllable by software.

CURRENT CLAMP (standard headstage):
Inputs: 1 µA/V, 0.1 µA/V with ON/OFF switches (TEC-05X, TEC-10CX), input resistance >100 kΩ: HOLD: X.XX nA, ten-turn digital control with -/0/+ switch, maximum 10 µA; BRIDGE balance (optional, TEC-05X systems): max. 10 MΩ or max. 100 MΩ (switch selected) with ten-turn digital control.
Speed of response (1% settling time; potential output signals after application of square pulses of 1 V with 1 MΩ electrode resistance): potential electrode

VOLTAGE CLAMP:
Inputs: :10 mV and :40 mV (TEC-05X, TEC-10CX) with ON/OFF switches, input resistance >100 kΩ; HOLD: XXX mV, ten-turn digital control with +/0/- switch, maximum 1000 mV; RISE TIME LIMIT: 0 - 0.2 ms; GAIN: 10 µA/V - 10000 µA/V, ten-turn linear control

INTEGRATOR TIME CONSTANT: 
200 µs - 2 ms, ten-turn control (TEC-03X) or control with ON/OFF switch (TEC-05X, TEC-10CX)

OUTPUT CURRENT LIMIT5 (TEC-10CX):
 0 - 100 %, linear control;

TEC 03 Modes: NORMAL (gain only), FAST (series resistance compensation) and SLOW (integration unit is active).

SPEED of RESPONSE (VC Mode):
1 % settling time:

POWER REQUIREMENTS:
115 V/230 V AC, 60 W (1.25 A/0.63 A fuse, SLOW).

DIMENSIONS:
19" rackmount cabinet, 19" (483 mm) wide, 14" (355 mm) deep, 5.25" (132.5 mm) high, weight 11 kg.