From the platform of the QPatch screening station, a “bed-of-nails” connects the patch clamp electrodes with the amplifier front ends. This distance is kept minimal (10 mm) to reduce any noise pick-up from the surroundings.
Eight parallel patch clamp amplifiers are implemented on one side of a standard printed circuit board, enabling all amplifiers to be positioned near the patch clamp electrodes. Two such boards are used in the QPatch 16 and six boards are used in the QPatch HT.
The amplifier board is connected directly to a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) board, enabling fast compensation and filtering routines. An embedded industrial PC controls the operation of the entire screening station.
The digital feedback systems in the proprietary Sophion patch clamp amplifiers enable a very advanced and novel R-series compensation method. Based on a patented filtered feedback approach, up to 100% Rs compensation is possible without risking cell-damaging voltage oscillations.
Technical specifications - see product sheets below:
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