HEKA Elektronik EPC 10 USB, Hardware Manual, Page: 8 / 81

2 Introduction
software from other sources. The versatility of the
EPC 10 USB
can best be appreciated by the variety of
experiments that can be carried out with it. Besides high-resolution recordings of single channels, it can be
used in studies of whole-cell voltage and current clamp, exocytosis (by monitoring changes in cell membrane
capacitance), and recordings from artificial membranes or loose-patch experiments. Technically, the
EPC 10 USB
is noteworthy for three special features, the range-changing capability of the probe, the extremely wide bandwidth
available from the current monitor circuitry, and the integrated transient cancellation (automatically if desired)
and series-resistance compensation functions. In current clamp mode, the
EPC 10 USB
pre-amplifier acts as an
“voltage-follower”, similar to classical microelectrode amplifiers, which guarantees very fast and accurate membrane
potential recordings (Magistretti et al., 1996). Together, these features mean that a single probe suffices for both
single-channel and whole cell recordings, and that both kinds of recordings can be made with high time resolution
and low noise.
This manual is designed to provide a general guide for setting up and using the
EPC 10 USB
for experiments.
It covers general information about the hardware, basic principles of the
EPC 10 USB
’s functions and patch
clamp techniques. It is assumed that the reader has some familiarity with patch clamp techniques; should you be a
newcomer to the field perhaps the best place to start would be the paper by Hamill et al., where the basic gigaseal
techniques are described and the first three chapters of Single Channel Recording (B. Sakmann & E. Neher, eds.,
Plenum Press, New York, 1995). Certainly, it will be worthwhile to read this manual carefully. Many users will
want to read some of the more advanced and complete discussions of individual topics which can be found in
original articles and in the books Single Channel Recording (B. Sakmann & E. Neher, eds., Plenum Press, New
York, 1995) and Methods in Enzymology, vol. 207 (Academic Press, New York, 1992).
1.2 References
Original Articles
Hamill, O. P., Marty, A., Neher, E., Sakmann, B. & Sigworth, F. J. (1981) Improved patch clamp techniques for
high-resolution current recording from cells and cell-free membrane patches. Pflugers Arch. 391, 85-100.
Magistretti, J., Mantegazza, M., Guatteo, E. & Wanke, E. (1996) Action potentials recorded with patch-clamp
amplifiers: are they genuine? TINS 19, 530-534.
Neher, E. (1981) Unit conductance studies in biological membranes. In: Techniques in Cellular Physiology (P. F.
Baker, ed.) Elsevier/North Holland.
Neher, E. & Sakmann, B. (1976) Single-channel currents recorded from membrane of denervated frog muscle fibres.
Nature 260, 779-802.
Rae, J. & Levis, R. (1984) Patch clamp recordings from the epithelium of the lens obtained using glasses selected
for low noise and improved sealing properties. Biophys. J. 45, 144-146.
Barry, P. H. & Lynch, J. W. (1991) Liquid junction potentials and small cell effects in patch-clamp analysis. J.
Memb. Biol. 121, 101-117.
Sigworth, F. J., Affolter, H. & Neher, E. (1995) Design of the EPC-9, a computer-controlled patch-clamp amplifier.
2. Software. J. Neurosci. Methods 56, 203-221.
Peters, F., Gennerich, A., Czesnik, D. & Schild, D. (2000) Low frequency voltage clamp: recording of voltage
transients at constant average command voltage. J. Neuroscience Meth. 99, 129-135.
Gillis, K.D. (2000) Admittance-based measurements of membrane capacitance using the EPC-9 patch-clamp am-
plifier. Pflugers Arch. 439:655-664.
Book Chapters
Penner, R. (1995) Chapter 1: A practical guide to patch clamping. In: Single-Channel Recording (B. Sakmann &
E. Neher, eds.) Plenum Press, New York.
Marty, A. & Neher, E. (1995) Chapter 2: Tight-seal whole-cell recording. In: Single-Channel Recording (B.
Sakmann & E. Neher, eds.) Plenum Press, New York.
Heinemann, S. H. (1995) Chapter 3: Guide to data acquisition and analysis. In: Single-Channel Recording (B.
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