Axon MultiClamp 700A User Manual

66 • Reference Section
MultiClamp 700A Theory and Operation, Copyright 2000, 2001 Axon Instruments, Inc.
Buzz
• Used as an aid for cell impalement or for clearing electrodes.
• Buzz is activated by pressing the
button in the I-Clamp pane.
• See also Clear.
Buzz works by briefly applying a 15 V
p-p
10 kHz filtered square wave to the
neutralization capacitor.
Depending on the microelectrode and the preparation, this method can aid in clearing
blocked electrode tips. When used while the tip of the microelectrode is pressing
against the membrane, Buzz may also cause the micropipette to penetrate the cell. The
exact mechanism is unknown, but it may involve attraction between the charge at the
tip of the electrode and bound charges on the inside of the membrane.
The duration of the Buzz oscillation is set by the user (50 µs-500 ms). The frequency
of the oscillation is 10 kHz. For some small cells a long duration Buzz can be deadly.
An appropriate duration can be found for most cells that is sufficiently long to allow
penetration of the membrane but short enough that the cell is not damaged after
penetration.

Axon MultiClamp 700A Specifications

General

Brand	Axon
Model	MultiClamp 700A
Category	Amplifier
Language	English