Motorized Micromanipulator MP-225A

Sutter developed the MP-225 controller and motorized manipulator in 2002 as an affordable alternative for individuals who didn't want all the functionality of the MP-285, the industry standard. Despite having a smaller feature set than the MP-285, the MP-225 nevertheless has the most used functionality and an effective user interface. The MP-225 was created primarily for placing patch and intracellular recording pipettes. The characteristics that are most needed for this kind of work have been kept and improved by Sutter.

IIn order to save you significant space, Sutter revised the MP-225 controller design in 2021 to create the MP-225A. This upgrade combines the ROE and rack mounted controller box into a single device. The MP-225A only comes with this enhanced version of the well-known rotary optical encoder (ROE). The cable-driven mechanical design of the MP-225A still makes use of a tiny stepper motor and an integrated anti-backlash gear head. The 25 mm of travel is made smooth by pre-loaded ball bearing slides. To ensure cross compatibility, the mounting procedure for pipette holders and headstages utilized with the MP-285 has been carried over to the MP-225A.

The user can now zero the display at any location to show travel distance starting from that location using the RELATIVE mode, which was recently implemented.

The MP-225A now offers the option to use a logarithmic acceleration algorithm, which enables speed control proportionate to the input speed in addition to the fixed speeds. Speed ramps up as the knobs on the ROE are turned more quickly. This makes it possible to control the electrode location in a fluid and natural manner without having to pause, change speeds, or remove your hand from the controller. The motors will shut off when not in use, decreasing system electrical noise to undetectable levels and keeping the motors cool to prevent thermal drift.

The MP-225A manipulator, like the MP-285, includes a synthetic fourth axis for diagonal movement of the pipette; any angle from 0-90 degrees may be chosen on the controller. The display on the ROE provides position location. A multiple position thumbwheel makes it simple to choose between fast/coarse movement and slow/ultra-fine movement in increments of 10. A single button press can start a move to a Home location for pipette replacement or to a user-defined Work location to start moving the pipette close to the recording spot. These two frequently used robotic movements have been integrated for better functionality.

FEATURES

• Experimentally highly steady and intolerant of pipette drift
• Minimum resolution for fine movement is submicron (125 nm).
• Convenient toggle switch for choosing movement resolution/speed
• Speed is automatically adjusted by the new logarithmic mode
• All three axes have motorized travel of 25 mm
• Any angle between 0-90 can be chosen on ROE's 4th axis for pipette coaxial movement
• Home location for pipette exchange is programmable
• An adjustable Work position close to the recording place
• Display of absolute or relative position in microns
• When the ROE knob is turned, DIP switches allow you to change the movement's direction
• Compact, modular design that is simple to modify for your setup
• Universal headstage or pipette holder mounting system
• The manipulator comes with mounting adapters