Advantages of the SEC-05X
- Reduce costs with this more straightforward version of the SEC-10LX
- Eliminate errors caused by series resistance in dSEVC (discontinuous Single Electrode Voltage Clamp) and dSECC (discontinuous Single Electrode Current Clamp) mode
- Offers the same performance and speed as the SEC-10LX
- Gating unit available as an accessory
- Modular version available: SEC-03M
High-Quality Single Electrode Voltage Clamp and Current Clamp Amplifier
The SEC series systems are adaptable intracellular recording systems. They represent the fastest and most precise single-electrode current and voltage clamp systems on the market.
The SEC-05X functions as a dSEVC (discontinuous Single Electrode Voltage Clamp) and dSECC (discontinuous Single Electrode Current Clamp) with continuous bridge mode, making it suitable for recordings using high resistance microelectrodes, tight-seal perforated patch, or whole-cell recording techniques. Additionally, they facilitate intracellular recordings during in vivo voltammetry experiments. Presently, SEC amplifiers are utilized in both vertebrate (rat, mouse, cat, fish, etc.) and invertebrate (leech, crab, snail, insect, etc.) neurons, muscle cells, other excitable tissues, and plant cells.
A notable enhancement over other time-sharing amplifiers is that the SEC systems provide full compensation for the recording microelectrode. This feature enables single electrode recordings to achieve the same level of accuracy and response speed as the conventional two-electrode voltage clamp method.
All systems come equipped with four (or optionally eight) operational modes, numerous automatic functions, protective circuits, versatile I/O signal conditioning units, and digitally controlled operation. These attributes render these amplifiers the optimal research tools for all electrophysiological studies employing intracellular microelectrodes or suction electrodes (patch pipettes).
All SEC amplifiers come equipped with LINEAR MODE, which facilitates low-noise recording of small currents using patch pipettes. This mode also supports loose-patch or macro-patch recordings and enables the approach to the cell to establish a gigaseal in VC mode.
The linear mode now features a switch that amplifies the current and voltage range by a factor of ten. Consequently, these amplifiers can be utilized for juxta-cellular filling of cells with dyes or for single-cell transfection with DNA.
Current SEC amplifiers can be upgraded to linear mode. For further information, please reach out to npi electronic.
Features
Four default modes of operation:
- Bridge mode (BR)
- Current Clamp mode (CC)
- Voltage Clamp mode (VC)
- Electrode resistance test mode (REL)
Three additional optional modes:
- Voltage Clamp controlled Current Clamp mode (VCcCC) - This mode allows Current Clamp experiments at controlled resting potentials.
- Dynamic Hybrid Clamp mode (DHC) - This mode enables precise measurement of conductances following action potentials.
- Linear (unswitched) mode (LIN), available optionally with series resistance compensation.
- x1: This mode allows low-noise recordings of small currents and facilitates the approach to the cell and seal formation in VC mode.
- x10: This mode provides ten times more current in CC and ten times more voltage in VC mode for non-invasive (juxtacellular) filling of cells.
- Complete compensation of electrode artifacts enables high (>30 kHz) switching frequencies.
- No series resistance errors are present.
- Ideal for recording from coupled cells using two synchronized SEC amplifiers (SEC-DUAL).
- Recordings can be made with sharp microelectrodes or patch pipettes.
- True current clamp functionality is available in both switched and bridge modes.
- Fast switched voltage clamp is equipped with a proportional-integral (PI) controller.
- The penetration unit is versatile and configurable.
- BESSEL filters are provided for current and voltage (16 corner frequencies).
- Monitors are available for filters and current output sensitivity.
- An optional Gating Unit GIA-05X is available (please contact us for more details).
The SEC is also available as a module for the EPMS-07 System.
Specifications of the SEC-05X
MODES of OPERATION:
- R : Electrode resistance test EL
- BR: Bridge mode
- CC: Current Clamp mode
- VC: Voltage Clamp Mode
- DHC: Dynamic Hybrid Clamp mode (option)
- VCcCC: Voltage Clamp controlled
- Current Clamp mode (option)
- LIN: Linear mode (x1 and x10)
- LIN: Linear mode with series resistance compensation
- Mode selection:
- rotary switch with six positions (SEC 05X)
- four pushbuttons (SEC 10LX)
- rotary switch with five positions (SEC 03)
- Linear mode with switch
HEADSTAGES:
- Standard headstage(SH), low-noise Headstages(HSP)
- operation voltage: ±15 V
- size: 100x40x25mm, HSP: 77x37x20mm
- headstage enclosure connected to ground
- electrode connector: gold plated SMB (SH)
- BNC connector (HSP), both with driven shield
- ground: 2.4 mm connector or headstage enclosure
- input resistance: 1013 Ohms
- current range (continuous mode):
- 150 nA (SH); 15 nA into 100 MOhms (HSP)
- CC control: Coarse control for cap. comp.
- holding bar (SH): diameter 8 mm, length 10 cm
- mounting plate (HSP headstage) 60×50 mm
- EXT headstage: 1 mm connectors,
- differential high impedance input, gain of ten
- cap. comp. for the non-inverting input
- high pass filter with six corner frequencies
- (1; 3; 10; 30; 100; 300 Hz)
BANDWIDTH AND SPEED OF RESPONSE:
- Full power bandwidth (Re=0): >100 kHz
- rise time (10-90%, Re = 100 MOhms) <30 μs
- rise time (10-90%, Re = 5 MOhms) <8 μs
- Electrode artifact decay (switched modes
- 10 nA signal) <1 μs (Re = 5 MOhms)
- <1.5 μs (Re = 100 MOhms)
- cap. comp. tuned with no overshoot
ELECTRODE RESISTANCE TEST: 10 mV/MOhm, obtained by application of square current pulses ±1 nA, display XXX MOhm
OSCILLATION SHUT-OFF:
- Turns off current injection and cap. comp.
- indicated by red/green LED,
- disabled / off / reset switch
- threshold set with linear control (0-1200 mV).
- SEC-03: no oscillation shut-off
CELL PENETRATION:
- Overcompensation of cap. comp.,
- timer controlled,with remote switch
- connected via BNC connector.
- Application of DC pulses, variable frequency and
- amplitude, timer controlled, with remote switch
- connected via BNC connector (SEC-10).
- Application of max. continuous DC current, BUZZ,
- with push button or remote switch connected via
- BNC connector (SEC-05).
- No cell penetration unit (SEC-03)
- (modular penetration unit available)
SWITCHED MODES PARAMETERS:
- Switching frequency: linear control
- 1.5 to >50 kHz; display: XX.XX kHz.
- duty cycles: 1/2, 1/4, 1/8
- selected by toggle switch.
- SEC-03: fixed 1/4 duty cycleCURRENT RANGE vs. DUTY CYCLE
- 1/8 – 15 nA; 1/4 – 30 nA, 1/2 – 60 nA
- (standard 15 V headstage)
- 1/8 – 1.5 nA; 1/4 – 3 nA, 1/2 – 6 nA
- (low noise headstage)
SWITCHED MODE OUTPUTS:
- Electrode potential: max. ±15 V,
- output impedance 250 Ohms.
- switching frequency: TTL (5 V),
- output impedance 250 Ohms.
CURRENT OUTPUT:
- Sensitivity: 0.1…10 V/nA in 1-2-5 steps
- with lowpass Bessel filter
- output impedance 250 Ohms
- sensitivity monitor: 1…7 V, 1V/switch position
- output impedance 250 Ohms
- current display: X.XX nA
- SEC-03: fix 0.1V/nA
POTENTIAL OUPUT:
- Sensitivity x10 mV, with lowpass Bessel filter
- output impedance 250 Ohms
- potential display: XXX mV
AUDIO MONITOR: Pitch correlated with potential signal
OUTPUT FILTERS:
- SEC-05: four-pole lowpass Bessel filter with 16 corner frequencies, 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- frequency monitor: -8…+7 V, 1 V/switch position
- output impedance 250 Ohms.
- SEC-10: four-pole lowpass Bessel filter with 16 corner frequencies, 20 Hz – 20 kHz
- frequency monitor: -8…+7 V, 1 V/switch position
- output impedance 250 Ohms.
- SEC-03: unfiltered or 5 kHz, internally adjustable
CURRENT CLAMP:
- Inputs: 1 nA/V, 0.1 nA/V with ON/OFF switches
- SEC-03: 1 nA/V
- input resistance >100 kOhms
- hold: X.XX nA ten-turn digital control, -/0/+ switch
- max. 10 nA.
- Gated input (SEC-10 systems only): X.XX nA
- with +/0/- switch, TTL input (HI >2.5 V, input
- resistance 10 kOhm).
- BRIDGE balance: XXX MOhms with
- ten-turn digital control.
- noise (BRIDGE MODE): 400μV pp / pA pp
- with 100 MOhms resistance at 10 kHz bandwidth
- (internal four-pole Bessel filters)
VOLTAGE CLAMP:
- Inputs: 10 mV or 40 mV
- SEC-03: 10mV
- input resistance >100 kOhms
- hold: XXX mV, ten-turn digital control
- with +/0/- switch, max. 1000 mV
- rise time limit: 0-2 ms (SEC-05 / SEC-10 only)
- gain: 100 nA/V – 10 μA/V ten-turn linear control
- noise (filters set to 10 kHz, SEC-05 / SEC-10)
- Potential output: <400 μV pp
- current output: <400 pA pp
SPEED of RESPONSE (VC Mode):
- 1 % settling time: <80 μs for 10 mV step
- <800 μs for 50 mV step applied to cell model
- (Re= 100 MOhms, Rm= 50 MOhms, Cm= 470 pF
- duty cycle = 1/4, switching frequency = 30 kHz
- standard headstage)
- <400 μs with 1/2 duty cycle.
DIMENSIONS:
- SEC-05 / SEC-10 systems:
- 19″ (483 mm) wide
- 14″ (355 mm) deep
- 5.25″ (132.5 mm) high,
- SEC-03 (two slots):
- 24 HP (121 mm) x 3U (128 mm) x 7 inch (175 mm)
Ordering Information
- SEC-05X SEC 05X System
- SEC-EH Standard Micro-/Patch Electrode Holder
- SEC-EH-SET Electrode Holder Set for SEC Amplifiers
- SEC-MOD SEC Cell Model Circuit
- SEC-DUAL-05 System for Double Cell Voltage Clamp Recordings (2x SEC-05X)
- SEC-PRS Remote Control f. PENETRATION unit
- SEC-CON SMB Cable for SEC Headstage
- SEC-HS SEC-HS Standard Headstage
- SEC-EXT SEC-EXT Headstage for extracellular recordings
- SEC-HSD SEC-HSD Headstage with differential input
- SEC-HSP SEC-HSP Low-noise Headstage
- SEC-MINI Miniature headstage for SEC-series amplifier. Many different configurations available for in-vivo or in-vitro use, housing and cable options. Please contact us for further information and prices.
- SEC-H High Voltage Modification of SEC System (surplus)
- SEC-SLOW VCcCC Modification of SEC System, Surplus
- SEC-LIN SEC with Linear Mode, (CC/VC x1, CC/VC x10 modes), Surplus
- SEC-LIN-RS SEC with Linear Mode, (CC/VC x1, CC/VC x10 modes) and Series Res. Comp., Surplus
- SEC-DHC Dynamic Hybrid Clamp (DHC) Modification of SEC System, Surplus
Please contact us for further information and prices.
