Optogenetics

Interested in bringing the power of Optogenetics to your patch clamping protocols?

The Optopatcher® provides unmatched accuracy in applying optical stimulation to an in-vivo patch-clamp protocol. The holder houses both an optical fiber and an electrode enabling simultaneous patch-clamp recording and optogenetic activation.

This is a significant advantage in non-slice protocols, such as in-vivo recording from intact animals, whole-cell patch-clamping, LFP recording, and spike/single-unit recording.

The Optopatcher® is available with the most common connectors used on patch clamps: Axon's Threaded Collar, Axopatch and Axoclamp connectors, and standard BNC connectors used by Heka and A-M Systems. It can be ordered to accept capillary glasses with diameters between 1.2 mm and 2.0 mm. For custom diameters, please contact us.

To connect to the Optopatcher®, a compatible fiber optic cable terminating in a 1.25mm ceramic ferrule is required. We offer 1 m long cables terminating in FC/PC connectors, SMA connectors, and others.

The fiber supplied in the Optopatcher® needs to be cut to final length for proper fitting within the patch pipette. Previous work by the Optopatcher® developers determined that the fiber end did not need any special tip treatment for effective light transmission. A blunt cut non-polished fiber end could elicit biological responses provided the fiber end was positioned near the end of the pipette. We recommend that first time Optopatcher® purchasers also purchase one of our ruby blade knives (if your lab doesn't already have one).