BC-535 Preliminary, Rev. 060126
17
sufficiently little mechanical noise such that one is able to make recordings while simultaneously
stirring.
Warner Instruments has developed a unique stirplate specifically designed for the planar lipid
bilayer. This stirplate, the
SPIN-2
, provides separate rotating dipoles for each side (cis and trans) of
the cup/chamber and its noise-free operation allows data recording while stirring.
Perfusion
Exchange of solutions (termed perfusion) normally occurs following incorporation of a channel to
the bilayer membrane, when experimental conditions require an alteration in ionic conditions, or to
remove a previously added compound.
Under ideal circumstances a good perfusion system is capable of exchanging solutions in the
recording chamber without interrupting the recording process or rupturing the membrane. However,
most researchers do not attempt to make recordings while perfusing since this is likely to result in a
broken membrane.
Several techniques for solution exchange are available. These include gravity feed, pump driven
devices, or manually-applied pressure driven systems. In general, fresh solution is added to the
bottom of the recording chamber while the perfusate is removed from the top. Warner Instruments
has developed the
BPS-2
, an easily assembled ‘traditional’ perfusion system, which integrates well
with our Bilayer Workstation.
Oscilloscope
While many investigators use software emulated display devices coupled to their acquisition
hardware to view data during acquisition, others rely on dedicated instrumentation for this purpose.
These dedicated instruments include chart recorders and oscilloscopes.
The primary advantage of an oscilloscope over a chart recorder is one of speed. A chart recorder,
however, produces a permanent record that is lacking in an oscilloscope. Software emulation can
model either of these hardware devices. Regardless of whether the investigator uses a chart recorder,
an oscilloscope, or a software emulated device, the data is previewed during acquisition and is stored
for subsequent analysis.
Warner
Instruments
A Harvard Apparatus Company .
