Electrophysiology and the Compresstome®

What is Electrophysiology?

Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical properties of biological cells and tissues. Specifically, in neuroscience, it includes the measurements of the electrical activity of brain cells, including neurons and their action potential activity. In order to take these measurements, the patch-clamp technique is widely used. In order to measure the electrical activity of cells and their neurons by patch-clamping, an electrophysiologist must obtain acute slices of the brain. The brain slices must be smooth on the slice surface and edges, contain healthy cells, and ideally, survive as long as possible after they are cut to produce the best results.

The Compresstome® is the Vibratome for E-Phys Slices!

Poorly cut brain slices are damaged during sectioning and survive usually for less than 3-4 hours after they are cut. The Compresstome® vibratome by Precisionary Instruments solves all of these problems and more:

• Stabilizes the entire tissue specimen before it is sectioned which prevents damage to the tissue microstructure.
• Produces even, consistent slices with smooth slice surfaces and edges every time you cut.
• Cuts at a faster speed than other vibratomes, keeping the upper surface layers of neurons preserved.

See the Evidence in Slice Quality

Research shows that acute brain slices made with the Compresstome® vibratome produces significantly more live neurons in a wide variety of brain regions. The above study was from P18-P30 rat brains sliced with a Compresstome® tissue slicer.