Multi Channel Systems CMOS-MEA5000-System


Multi Channel Systems

CMOS MEA 5000 System

The CMOS-MEA 5000 System is the in vitro recording system from Multi Channel Systems for extracellular recordings and stimulation at the highest resolution.

Based on the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology, it opens up new possibilities in electrophysiological research.

With more than 4000 recording sites, each of them sampled at 25 kHz, the chip allows extracelullar recordings at a very high spatio-temporal resolution. By including amplification on the chip itself, noise is minimized and a high signal quality is guaranteed.

As stimulation sites are included in the chip and a stimulus generator in the headstage, the system is ideal for closed-loop experiments.

 

The new CMOS MEA5000-System

The CMOS MEA 5000 System consists of four components, which are all designed to be efficient and powerful, while fitting ideally on the lab bench and microscopes.

After opening the lid of the headstage, you just place the chip inside an. When the lid is closed, the contact pins are pressed on the pads on the chip and signals are transmitted. The headstage connects with only one cable (eSATA) to the interface board. Connection to the computer is done via USB 3.0. Summarizing, there is no need for many cables and the system is easy-to-use.

Please click on the arrows on the right to learn more about the single components.

 

CMOS Chip with 4225 recording sites

The chip is based on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, facilitating fast, high-resolution imaging of electrical activity.

The chip is equipped with a culture chamber to house your sample, while allowing the use of a microscope.

The recording sites are arranged in a 65×65 grid and have a 16µm or 32µm interelectrode distance (center to center). Between the recording electrodes, there is a grid of 32×32 bigger stimulation sites. Summarizing, you can record from 4225 electrodes and stimulate your sample at 1024 sites.

 

The high number of electrodes also results in a large recording area (1 mm² @ 16 µm; 4 mm² @ 32 µm). Thereby, you can see the signals from every single cell and even the signal propagation along an axon, while still getting an overview on your complete sample, e.g. a cell culture and see how the cells interact.

The chip is coated with planar oxide, similar to glass, enhancing the biocompatibility and biostability.

CMOS MEA Headstage with integrated stimulator

The core of the system is the headstage, housing the chip with your sample. It samples the data coming from the chip at 25 kHz per channel (all electrodes simultaneously), thus no signal is lost – even axonal spikes are displayed and recorded thoroughly. Together with a A/D conversion at 14 bit, the system ensures accurate and precise data.

Besides A/D conversion and amplification, the headstage also houses a 3-channel stimulator- You can freely design the stimulation patterns via the included software and select each of the 1024 stimulation sites of the chip. One big advantage is that you can record instantly after stimulation. Even on the electrode right next to the stimulation site, recording is possible <1 ms after the stimulation pulse.

Technologically advanced interface board

The interface board offers the USB 3.0 interface to transfer the recorded data to a computer. Moreover, it has analog and digital in- and outputs for synchronization with other instruments. Apart from digital and analog in- and outputs, it also includes a digital signal processor, which is freely programmable for real-time feedback and closed-loop experiments.

Versatile and high performance control software

The CMOS MEA 5000 System is controlled and its data recorded by the software package CMOS-MEA-Control.

The software gives an online, real-time activity overview on the complete chip. You can then define regions of interest and zoom into the areas, where you see most activity. You can also switch off areas to decrease file size.

The software also controls the integrated stimulator. You can freely define 3 independent stimulus patterns, using and adjusting the drag’n’drop modules.

 

Benefits

The advantages of the CMOS MEA5000-System are:

  • 4225 recording electrodes on an active chip
  • 1024 dedicated stimulation sites
  • 25 kHz sampling rate on all channels
  • Outstanding signal quality
  • Recordings at sub-cellular level
  • Powerful software package CMOS-MEA-Control included (free updates available)