The Steiert muscle bath is a horizontal bath, open at the top, specifically designed for studies of cardiac tissue preparations such as papillary muscle and Purkinje fibers. The unique design allows the user to record both intracellular action potentials and contractile force from the same tissue preparation.
The bath is designed as a flow-through system—a 1 to 2 ml/min flow is always neceddary. The flow-through bath cannot be stopped because the fluid would cool down.
The low volume bath design features an adjustable height sipper tube to adjust and set the bath volume (1 to 2 ml). The inner dimension of the oval bath is 15 mm wide x 20 mm oblong.
The tissue bath has ports for fluid inlet and outlet. The port outlet connects to the peristatic pump. In order to keep the volume level in the bath, the outlet tube must always be larger in ID than the inlet tube.
The isometric force transducer is mounted with micrometer control to maintain and monitor tissue tension. Silicone grease is used to seal the opening through which the tissue support extends from the tissue preparation to the force transducer.
The DC Temperature Controller has been specially developed for thermostating the perfusion solution supply on the Steiert organ bath. Special attention has been paid during the development of this controller to a very low radiated interference level. The heating circuit (temperature controller and heating element) has excellent decoupling from the perfusion solution circuit. The heating element is a long life halogen bulb. It is therefore excellently suited for the interference-free measurement of intracellular action potentials.
The tissue under investigation is secured with a needle to a silicone pad fitted in the bath bottom, the other end is secured, either with a thread or directly to the hook of the force transducer.
Stimulation takes place through a miniature coaxial electrode which is mounted flexibly on a triple ball joint to the back of the bath. The stimulation electrode can therefore be positioned to suit individual requirements.
F30 Force Transducer, bridge amplifier for the force transducer and PLUGSYS Microelectrode Amplifier Module* with matching headstage amplifier, data acquisition, recording microelectrodes, electrical stimulator with isolation unit, tissue preparation dish, anti-vibration table, microscope, illumination, micromanipulator, µ-electrode puller and other options based on specific application.
*The Microelectrode Amplifier Module (MEA) includes a separate headstage amplifier used to record intracellular potentials. The headstage amplifier is easily mounted on a micromanipulator and the open bath design facilitates electrode placement.
Note: If contractile force measurement is not required, special versions are available on request. A version with field stimulation electrodes is also available on request. Be aware that in this case stimulation artifacts may interfere with the action potential signal.