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MultiChannel MEA2100-System, User Manual

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MEA2100-System Manual 

48 

6.7

 

Missing Spikes or Strange Signal Behavior 

MEAs wear out after multiple uses or over a longer time of use, for example for long-term 
cultures. The insulation layer gets thin over time. This is considered a normal behavior. 

Possible causes: 

? The insulation layer is too thin. As a result, the MEA gets the behavior of a low pass filter. This 
means, that the signal frequency may be shifted to a lower frequency, and spikes are missing. 

Optically control the MEA with a microscope. If concentric colored rings (Newton rings) are visible 
(due to light interference), the insulation layer is too thin and you should use a fresh MEA. 

? The insulation layer has been abraded and is missing in parts. This will result in a short circuit 
between the electrodes or tracks and the bath. You will still see signals, but as an unspecific smear 
over the complete array. 

Use a fresh MEA. 

 

Summary of Contents for MEA2100-System

Page 1: ...MEA2100 System Manual ...

Page 2: ...he publisher and the author be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this document 2014 Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH All rights reserved Printed 21 02 2014 Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH Aspenhaustraße 21 72770 Reutlingen Germany Fon 49 71 21 90 92 5 0 Fax 49 71 21 90 92 5 11 info multichannelsystems com www m...

Page 3: ...ware 23 3 5 1 System requirements 23 3 5 2 Recommended operating system settings 23 3 5 3 Installing the LTP Director Software 24 3 5 4 Installing the LTP Analyzer Software 24 3 6 Setting up Cardio2D Software 25 3 6 1 Installing the Cardio2D Software 26 3 6 2 Installing the Cardio2D Analyzer Software 26 4 Hardware 27 4 1 Hardware Configuration 27 4 2 MEA2100 Interface Board 28 4 3 MEA2100 Headstag...

Page 4: ...6 4 Noise on Single Electrodes 46 6 5 MEA is defective 47 6 6 Overall Noise Unsteady Baseline 47 6 7 Missing Spikes or Strange Signal Behavior 48 7 Appendix 49 7 1 MEA2100 Configuration Software 49 7 2 Technical Support 51 7 3 Technical Specifications 52 7 4 Pin Layout 55 7 5 Changing Gold Spring Contacts 58 7 6 Stimulation 61 7 7 Safe Charge Injection Limits 61 8 Index 65 ...

Page 5: ...rode arrays MEAs with integrated amplification data acquisition online signal processing integrated stimulus generator as well as temperature control The MEA2100 System consists of two main devices The interface board with integrated signal processor and the headstage equipped with amplifier A D converter and stimulus generator It is possible to connect one headstage only or two headstages to one ...

Page 6: ... with heating is available for the MEA2100 as optional accessory All MEA types with 60 or 120 channels can be used A modified base plate is available for the headstage to be able to work with perforated MEAs also Because of the compact designed headstage you can use most inverted or upright microscopes for the optical control of the sample on the MEA chip The Interface Board of the MEA2100 System ...

Page 7: ...ctions which could impair safety should be rectified immediately High Voltage Electrical cords must be properly laid and installed The length and quality of the cords must be in accordance with local provisions Only qualified technicians may work on the electrical system It is essential that the accident prevention regulations and those of the employers liability associations are observed Each tim...

Page 8: ...rage installation commissioning operation or maintenance of the device Unauthorized structural alterations to the device Unauthorized modifications to the system settings Inadequate monitoring of device components subject to wear Improperly executed and unauthorized repairs Unauthorized opening of the device or its components Catastrophic events due to the effect of foreign bodies or acts of God 2...

Page 9: ...ceed with the installation of the MC_Rack program Connecting the MEA2100 System to a computer with installed MC_Rack If MC_Rack had already been installed on the computer before the hardware was connected the operating system needs to load the driver once After this procedure the MEA2100 System will be automatically recognized by the operating system 1 Connect the MEA2100 System to the USB port of...

Page 10: ...Only one software is necessary to operate the MEA2100 System MC_Rack If you purchased the computer together with the system the software and drivers will be preinstalled and you can start working straight away If you purchased the computer separately or want to switch to a different computer software and drivers must be installed on this computer Updates for MC_Rack are released on a regular basis...

Page 11: ...retailer in this case Recommended BIOS settings Recommended operating system settings The following automatic services of the Windows operating system interfere with the data storage on the hard disk and can lead to severe performance limits in MC_Rack These routines were designed for use on office computers but are not very useful for a data acquisition computer Turn off Screensaver Turn off Wind...

Page 12: ...g to use in parallel one MC_Rack instance for one HS32 HS60 or one HS120 two MC_Rack instances for one HS2x32 HS2x60 or two HS32 HS60 or two HS120 four MC_Rack instances for two HS2x32 or HS2x60 Afterwards you can open several instances of MC_Rack and assign every instance to one MEA of the system After opening MC_Rack as many times as necessary please open the Data Source Setup dialog from the Ed...

Page 13: ...ect the appropriate MEA type from the drop down menu for each instance If a second headstage is connected to the same interface board it will become available in the Data Source Setup as MEA2100 S N XXXXX B The settings for the second headstage are analogous to the first MEA2100 32 System The MEA2100 32 System is a descendant of the MEA2100 System with all available functions except of the real ti...

Page 14: ...r input range results in a better resolution in bits μV signals larger than the selected range will be clipped In summary the procedure has exactly the same functionality as a software selectable gain even though strictly speaking it is not The Sampling Frequency should also be selected as low as possible depending on the signals you like to measure to minimize data file size If several instances ...

Page 15: ...oftware However it is possible to import stimulation patterns generated in MC_Stimulus II as ASCII data Important In current stimulation mode if you select two or more stimulation electrodes for the same stimulation pulse please be aware that in some configurations when more than one electrode is used within a block of 30 electrodes which are powered by the same current source the current level of...

Page 16: ...ning Anodic positive pulses can lead to a formation of titanium oxide on the MEA electrodes When using MEA electrodes of TiN material use only negative voltages pulses or biphasic current pulses applying the negative phase first Always regard the safe charge injection limits Otherwise electrodes can be irreversibly damaged by electrolysis When using the Train window for setting up a pulse train pl...

Page 17: ...mulus file You can import any pulse type available in MC_Stimulus II Program the file in MC_Stimulus II as usual channel 1 will become stimulus 1 in MC_Rack channel 2 will become stimulus 2 and channel 3 will become stimulus 3 Export the file as ASCII file MC_Stimulus II File Export ASCII Import this file in MC_Rack Stimulus Tab Import File It is not necessary to program Sync Out pulses Informatio...

Page 18: ...mulation paradigm by pressing the Stop button If a DigIn is selected the stimulation starts if a TTL pulse is delivered to the respective connectors Digital In 1 to 4 on the front of the MEA2100 System interface board If the internal STG is connected to one or more Trigger Detectors in the MC_Rack virtual tree it is also possible to start the stimulation on any of these Triggers Trigger 1 2 If the...

Page 19: ... electrodes click the button All below the grid Electrodes can be grounded or selected as regular recording electrodes Not Stim in the same way Electrodes selected for stimulation pattern 1 Stim 1 are colored in blue for stimulation pattern 2 Stim 2 are colored in red or stimulation pattern 3 Stim 3 are colored in yellow To cancel a stimulation electrode please use the radio button Not Stim and cl...

Page 20: ...ually the stimulation electrode will be connected to the stimulator output only during the stimulation pulse and afterwards be switched back to the amplifier to be used as recording electrode This sometimes causes switching artifacts independently from the actual stimulation However if the function Dedicated Stimulation Electrodes is active the selected stimulation electrodes will be constantly co...

Page 21: ...e stimulator units are idle Please see the red bars on the picture However the next pattern can only be started by the respective starting condition when the previous stimulation paradigm including all breaks is completely finished That means if one stimulation pattern of any of the three stimulator units is still running when the condition occurs nothing will happen This also holds true when a st...

Page 22: ...ick the button New and the new list entry appears To rename a pattern of the list select the pattern which will be highlighted in blue Then you can change the name of the pattern in the list Please click the Rename button The command Remove eliminates the pattern in the list which is highlighted in blue With Up or Down you can move the patterns to arrange them in that sequence you like to apply th...

Page 23: ...sary Please see the channels assignments from the following table Bit 0 DigIn 1 Digital In channel 1 Bit 1 DigIn 2 Digital In channel 1 Bit 2 DigIn 3 Digital In channel 1 Bit 3 DigIn 4 Digital In channel 1 Bit 4 Stimulus 1 Stimulation pattern on channel 1 Bit 5 Stimulus 2 Stimulation pattern on channel 2 Bit 6 Stimulus 3 Stimulation pattern on channel 3 Bit 7 Zero not connected Bit 8 RF 1 Real tim...

Page 24: ...device is connected the Real time feedback is not available respectively the real time feedback specification 1 to 8 are not available Therefore the input bits are used for the digital inputs bit 0 to bit 12 to digIn 1 to 13 The stimulation channels are connected to the last three bits bit 13 to stimulus 1 bit 14 to stimulus 2 and bit 15 to stimulus 3 The channels are labeled according to their fu...

Page 25: ...the Digital Channel in the MEA2100 for more details So to trigger for example on each pulse of Stimulus 1 a Trigger detector in MC_Rack must be set to the Digital Channel bit 4 Please see screenshot below It is also possible to set the trigger detector to react on a signal from any of the three STG units This might for example be useful to start a triggered recording if a stimulus is applied from ...

Page 26: ...ght bits can be monitored with the Digital Display See also Use of the Digital Channel in the MEA2100 The Real time Feedback trigger signals are available in the Trigger Detector and can also be directly selected to start the internal stimulus generators See also chapter Starting and Stopping the Stimulation Setting up the Real time Feedback Software The Real time Feedback works the same way as wi...

Page 27: ...uage versions may lead to software errors Hardware MEA2100 System Not required for LTP Analyzer or demo mode Important You need to have installed the latest driver to operate the data acquisition system which is automatically installed with LTP Director The installation may be invalid if the data acquisition system does not respond Please contact Multi Channel Systems or your local retailer in thi...

Page 28: ...evice The license key does not unlock the software as usual but the hardware This way it is possible to connect the device to different data acquisition computers If you connect for example an USB ME256 data acquisition you need only one key which will be saved on the device But you have to buy one two or four LTP Director licenses to operate the USB ME256 data acquisition device with one two or f...

Page 29: ...s required Windows 8 1 Windows 7 with the NT file system Windows XP or Vista English and German versions are supported other language versions may lead to software errors Hardware MEA2100 System Not required for Cardio2D Analyzer or demo mode Important You need to have installed the latest data acquisition driver to operate the device which is automatically installed with Cardio2D The installation...

Page 30: ...nstallation procedure Follow the instructions of the installation assistant Note The hardware driver is installed or updated automatically If you connect for example two MEA2100 headstages via interface board to one data acquisition computer you need to have two license keys for each MEA2100 headstage a separate key But you do not need four licenses when using headstages with two MEAs for example ...

Page 31: ...be connected to the interface board once or twice A headstage for one MEA with 32 MEA2100 HS32 with 60 MEA2100 HS60 or with 120 electrodes MEA2100 HS120 Respectively headstages for two MEAs are available for two MEAs with 32 or 60 electrodes each MEA2100 HS2x32 or MEA2100 HS2x60 One or two headstages can be connected to the interface board of the MEA2100 System MEA2100 HS2x60 Two MEA2100 HS2x60 Tw...

Page 32: ...ve no function at the moment Digital IN OUT A Digital IN OUT for 16 digital in and output bits is available 68 pin MCS standard connector on the rear panel of the interface board On the front panel four digital IN and four digital OUT connectors bits are also accessible via Lemo connector DIG IN bit 0 to bit 3 and DIG OUT bit 0 to bit 3 If access to more bits of the DIG IN OUT channel is required ...

Page 33: ...n 0 V and 0 8 V is considered as a logical state of 0 LOW and a voltage between 2 V and 5 V means 1 HIGH The Digital OUT allows generating a digital signal with up to 16 bits and read it out for example by using a Digital IN OUT extension Di o from Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH You can utilize this digital signal to control and synchronize other devices with the MEA2100 System Bit 0 to 3 of the D...

Page 34: ...sfer the amplified and digitized data from all data channels and the additional digital and analog channels to any connected data acquisition computer via USB high speed 2 0 type A mini B cable While one USB connection is enough for all 240 data channels in principle it is recommended to use two USB connections when using two headstages with 120 channels each Important It is recommended to connect...

Page 35: ...r part has connectors for the serial eSATAp connector to connect the headstage to the interface board and for the connection between the integrated heating element s of the headstage and the Temperature Controller TCX in the base plate The contact unit houses the MEA s and features three grounding plugs for each MEA These are internally interconnected and enable the user to ground a Ag AgCl refere...

Page 36: ...with 60 electrodes Headstage for two microelectrode arrays MEAs with 60 electrodes Headstage for microelectrode arrays MEAs with 120 electrodes Headstage for microelectrode arrays MEAs with 32 electrodes Headstage for two microelectrode arrays MEAs with 32 electrodes ...

Page 37: ...grated blanking circuit BC disconnects the electrodes from the amplifiers during the stimulation and avoids stimulus artifacts As usual in MEA Systems the MEA2100 System features a heating element with a Pt100 temperature sensor If you connect a temperature controller TC02 to the heating element via D Sub 9 connector the heating element guarantees constant temperature conditions for the biological...

Page 38: ... range will be clipped In summary the procedure has exactly the same functionality as a software selectable gain even though strictly speaking it is not DC Offset Correction The internal baseline restore routine is used to eliminate DC offsets of the electrode channels and set all baseline values to zero This has to be a slow process If the routine corrected too fast slow signals would be eliminat...

Page 39: ...oose between current or voltage stimulation and you can select each electrode for stimulation The integrated blanking circuit BC disconnects the electrodes from the amplifiers during the stimulation and avoids stimulus artifacts Control of stimulation patterns and selection of stimulation electrodes is done within the MC_Rack software Please read chapter Setting up the Internal Stimulation Generat...

Page 40: ......

Page 41: ...g acquisition computer Do not use an USB hub and also avoid USB ports on the front panel of the computer as they are often connected to the mainboard via an internal hub 8 Connect the Interface Board via power supply unit to a power outlet of the same electrical system connected to the same ground earth wire as all other components of the setup for example the computer or shielding 9 If necessary ...

Page 42: ...nd an O ring Close the lid again by pushing the panels back in their original position First functional Tests Each MEA2100 System has been thoroughly tested at the factory site before delivery However you may want to perform some tests yourself before you begin your experiment to exclude any damage that might have occurred during transportation or to fulfill your own guidelines for instance Some o...

Page 43: ... MEA Signal Generator A MEA Signal Generator is a convenient tool adapted for MEA2100 Systems with HS60 or HS2x60 Use the MEA SG instead of setting up an experiment with biological sample for training controlling and troubleshooting purposes This reduces the number of animal experiments and saves laboratory equipment Please see the data sheet MEA SG in the Appendix Important When using a MEA SG wh...

Page 44: ...hannels You may have to adjust the scaling of the y axes until you can clearly see the noise level You should see the baseline with a maximum noise level of 20 μV Please note that the system has a broad frequency range by default so slow wave noise and drifting baselines may occur This can be solved by using virtual filters See MC_Rack manual for details The display will be automatically adapted w...

Page 45: ...ndix Warning Spilled liquid can damage or even completely destroy the electronics of the MEA2100 headstage Please be careful when setting up your perfusion system and when starting the perfusion Take care that the flow rates of the inlet and outlet flow match so that flooding of the amplifier is efficiently prevented Grounding the Bath Most MEA chips are equipped with an internal reference electro...

Page 46: ...ecessary to have a MEA2100 System equipped with a perfusion element The perfusion element is available for headstages with one 60 electrode MEA and headstages with two 60 electrode MEAs The perfusion element replaces the regular ground plate with heating element It is possible to change exchange the one element for the other but the exchange has to be done by MCS or a qualified distribution partne...

Page 47: ... also recommended to use a valve between the CVP and the system Pressure Control via Syringe Suction can be applied manually with a syringe Connect a 1 ml syringe to the tube After mounting the slice gently suck in about 20 to 50 μl with the syringe It is better not to start with the syringe at position 0 ml better have 100 to 200 μl of air already in Do not apply more suction or the slice will be...

Page 48: ......

Page 49: ...puter Connection No Recording Possible You cannot establish a connection to the computer The MEA2100 System channel layout is not available in MC_Rack When loading a previously saved virtual rack file you will get an error message and the simulator will be started automatically You get an error message when starting the recording in MC_Rack after a successful computer connection Possible causes Th...

Page 50: ...m as the Trigger Check the pin layout of the Digital IN OUT connector and make sure that the same bit input that is connected is selected in the software The standard settings of the Trigger Detector are for using bit 0 Mask all unused bits Select the appropriate logical state generally HIGH for triggering Please see the MC_Rack help or manual for more details 6 4 Noise on Single Electrodes The no...

Page 51: ...t appear bad is actually defective and the other ones are only affected by the single defective electrode Ground as many electrodes as you need for a good general performance Grounded electrodes show a noise level that is lower than that of good electrodes If too many electrodes are defective use a new MEA 6 6 Overall Noise Unsteady Baseline The baseline is unstable signals are jumping or drifting...

Page 52: ...a low pass filter This means that the signal frequency may be shifted to a lower frequency and spikes are missing Optically control the MEA with a microscope If concentric colored rings Newton rings are visible due to light interference the insulation layer is too thin and you should use a fresh MEA The insulation layer has been abraded and is missing in parts This will result in a short circuit b...

Page 53: ...in Window of the MEA2100 Configuration program The MEA2100 Config program for changing the hardware filter setting of the MEA2100 System is self explanatory via tool tips It is possible to control each headstage separately Define the MEA2100 Device from the drop down box if two headstages or headstages with two MEAs are available Press Refresh button to update the settings The actual settings for ...

Page 54: ...ilter The amplitude is reduced by 3 db at this frequency A filter with Bessel characteristic is used is shown The option Custom can not be selected If you need a frequency which is not available on the list please contact support multichannelsystems com The selected settings are automatically downloaded to the MEA2100 device as soon as you select them If the Make Permanent button is not used the d...

Page 55: ... you had performed immediately before the error occurred The more information on the actual situation you can provide the easier it is to track the problem The serial number of the device You will find it on the backside of the housing or click About in Help in the main menu of MC_Rack The amplifier type and serial numbers of the connected amplifiers You will find them on the devices The operating...

Page 56: ...ity 10 to 85 non condensing Headstage Dimensions W x D x H 256 mm x 151 mm x 25 mm Weight 1000 g Type of headstage MEA2100 HS32 for 32 electrode MEAs MEA2100 HS2x32 for 2 x 32 electrode MEAs MEA2100 HS60 for 60 electrode MEAs MEA2100 HS2x60 for 2 x 60 electrode MEAs MEA2100 HS120 for 120 electrode MEAs Integrated Amplifier Number of analog recording channels 32 to 120 depending on the headstage ty...

Page 57: ...nputs Lemo connector EPL 00 250 NTN 4 Digital outputs Lemo connector EPL 00 250 NTN 2 Auxiliary channels not in use Lemo connector EPL 00 250 NTN Rear panel 1 16 bit Digital In Out 68 pin MCS standard connectors 1 20 pin connector Analog IN Channel 3 to 8 additionally pins used for DSP 20 pin connector 2 54 mm grid dual row standard IDC 2 Analog Inputs Channel 1 and Channel 2 Lemo connector EPL 00...

Page 58: ...Max Power 30 W Mark of conformity CE TÜV cUL European standards EN60601 Software Operating system Microsoft Windows 8 1 Windows 7 32 or 64 bit XP or Vista English and German version supported MC_Rack program Data acquisition and analysis software Version 4 1 1 and higher MC_DataTool program Data export software Version 2 6 3 and higher Axon binary file abf ASCII file txt binary file raw ...

Page 59: ...D TCK Pin 11 Pin 12 GND BMU 0 Pin 13 Pin 14 EMU 1 Analog IN channel 3 Pin 15 Pin 16 Analog IN channel 4 Analog IN channel 5 Pin 17 Pin 18 Analog IN channel 6 Analog IN channel 7 Pin 19 Pin 20 Analog IN channel 8 MEA2100 Interface Board Lemo Connectors for Analog IN Analog IN 1 and 2 available via Lemo Connectors Analog IN 1 channel 1 Analog IN 2 channel 2 The gain factor for amplification of all a...

Page 60: ... 67 Positive supply voltage output Pin 68 Negative voltage supply output Digital IN OUT separate available via Lemo Connectors Separate Digital IN Lemo Connectors Digital In 1 Bit 0 of the 16 bit digital input channels Pin 27 Digital IN 2 Bit 1 of the 16 bit digital input channels Pin 28 Digital IN 3 Bit 2 of the 16 bit digital input channels Pin 29 Digital IN 4 Bit 3 of the 16 bit digital input c...

Page 61: ...Pin 1 and 2 GND Ground Pin 3 to 30 not connected Pin 31 to 34 internal coding Pin 35 to 38 GND Ground Pin 39 to 98 Channel 1 to 60 Pin 99 and 100 GND Ground Connector on the right side when looking to the front of the MEA2100 headstage without contact unit and with the articulation of the headstage in the back Pin 1 and 2 GND Ground Pin 3 and 62 Channel 61 to 120 Pin 63 to 66 GND Ground Pin 67 to ...

Page 62: ...e pin which need to be changed Please use the pin layout of a 120MEA200 30iR Ti for the MEA2100 HS120 and the pin layout of a standard 60MEA200 30iR Ti for the MEA2100 HS60 and MEA2100 HS2x60 and the pin layout of the MEA32 S12 L1 4 for the MEA2100 HS32 Pin Layout Headstage HS60 or Headstage HS2x60 Please insert the 60MEA200 30iR Ti as recommended The internal reference electrode has to show to th...

Page 63: ...the display and you find the designated pin layout Count the pins to find the gold spring contact you like to change Pin Layout of the 120MEA200 30iR Ti Pin Layout Headstage HS32 Please insert the MEA32 S12 Lx as recommended You can read the labeling of the contact pads correct or upside down when looking from the front of the headstage with the articulation in the back Open MC_Rack software and a...

Page 64: ...ld spring contact with a needle nose pliers and remove it upwards without damaging the contacts on the left and on the right side 3 Place a new gold spring contact into the hollow shaft of the old one 4 Take the fixing tool for gold spring contacts and put the small end of the tool over the head of the new gold spring contact straight from above 5 Push the gold spring contact with the fixing tool ...

Page 65: ...her materials for example platinum Pt In the Appendix you find safe charge injection limit curves that document maximum current and stimulus durations for standard TiN electrodes Please note that these curves document the limits Stimulus pulses should be kept safely below these limits The safe charge injection limit of platinum 0 4 mC cm2 is much smaller than for TiN 23 mC cm2 This fact results in...

Page 66: ...MEA2100 System Manual 62 ...

Page 67: ...Appendix 63 ...

Page 68: ...tems User Forum provides the opportunity for you to exchange your experience or thoughts with other users worldwide Mailing list If you have subscribed to the mailing list you will be automatically informed about new software releases upcoming events and other news on the product line You can subscribe to the list on the MCS web site www multichannelsystems com ...

Page 69: ...65 8 Index ...

Page 70: ...MEA2100 System Manual 66 ...

Page 71: ...ervice and Maintenance 41 Setting up the MEA 41 Temperature Control 41 Multi Channel Systems MCS GmbH 4 O Operator s Obligations 4 P Perfusion Canula 41 Pin Layout Input Connectors of the MEA2100 System from Contact Unit to Headstage 55 Interface Board Analog IN 55 Digital IN OUT Connector 55 S Stimulus Generator Defining the Stimulus Pulse 11 Selection of Stimulus Electrodes 11 Setting up the STG...

Page 72: ...68 ...

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