PD_Amplifier_FINAL_9.5.2018.pdf

PURCHASE DESCRIPTION

1. Statement of Need and Purpose:

The purpose of this order is to procure amlifiers, digitizers, and software with increased signal to noise ratio to detect electrophysiological methods that are typically very small in size (µV or pA).

2. Background Information and Objective:

The unit on Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration (NSI) is a new laboratory being established at the NIMH. This laboratory will utilize cutting-edge electrophysiological studies to determine how information is processed by the brain at the cellular, microcircuit, and systems levels to ultimately understand the computations that drive physiological behavior and psychiatric disorders. We utilize whole-cell slice electrophysiology in combination with other techniques, including optogenetics, UV uncaging, transgenic mice, viral approaches, and pharmacology to dissect how synapses and intrinsic factors that control excitability in neurons are regulated by receptors that are implicated in psychiatric disorders and are the major target of most pharmacological treatments for this disease. Electrophysiology is currently the only tool that allows neuroscientists to study synapses and intrinsic factors that control excitability with sub-millisecond temporal and single cell resolution. Electrical signals detected by electrophysiological methods are typically very small in size (µV or pA) and need cutting-edge electronics (amplifier, digitizer, and software) with increased signal to noise ratio to achieve this.

As the NSI will utilize whole-cell slice electrophysiology as a means to dissect the function of neuronal circuits implicated in psychiatric disorders, we seek to acquire four electrophysiology amplifiers, digitizers, and data software packages with all the components necessary to successfully execute this cutting-edge technique.

3. Generic Name of Product: Electrophysiology Amplifiers, Digitizers, and Software

4. Purchase Description:

• Electrophysiology Amplifiers, Digitizers, and Software

• Multiclamp 700B Amplifiers, includes two CV-7 headstages, two baseplates for attachment to micromanipulators, two HL-U electrode holders, two Patch-1U model cells, two 1 mm pins, multiclamp commander software

• Digidata 1550B1 Low-Noise Data Acquisition System Plus Channel Humsilencer

Adaptive Noise Cancellation, 500 KSPS, USB 2.0 The Digidata 1550B1 rack mountable main unit comes standard with: USB 2.0 cable, AxoScope 10 software CD.

• pClamp 11 Software for Windows Includes: Clampex 11 USB Security Key and Clampfit

Advanced Analysis Module 11 USB Security Key.

5. Salient characteristics:

1. The software should be able to acquire, analyze, and graph all types of electrophysiological data including action potentials (Aps), minis (EPSPs), single-channel currents, whole-cell current and voltages.

2. The software should support the new Digidata 1550B digitizer.

3. The amplifier, digitizer, and software should be able to acquire a digital chart to monitor prep between sweeps or to have a summary of the entire day in one record in the background.

4. The amplifier, digitizer, and software should be able to telegraph seamlessly (communicate), but at the same time have the capability to operate independently for troubleshooting purposes .

5. The amplifier, digitizer, and software should be able to monitor capacitance (Cm) and access resistance (Ra) for cell health, either online during acquisition or independently of acquisition.

6. The amplifier, digitizer, and software should have a split-clock feature to vary the sampling rate multiple times per sweep so as to reduce the size of raw data files for data transfer and storage.

7. The software should include programming to setup plasticity synaptic experiments. Cursor measurement positions should be able to be adjusted online during acquisition to encompass changes in data position.

8. The software should provide event detection analysis to identify, analyze, and time stamp events based on kinetics and waveforms.

9. The software should include the implementation of single-channel analysis, including burst and latency analysis.

10. The software should have fitting library that will allow events to be fit with functions (e.g.

exponential etc.).

11. The amplifier should support at least two independent primary headstages (ideally four), each of which contains circuitry for voltage clamp (resistor-feedback) and fast current clamp (voltage follower). This will allow a wide variety of experiments, including patch-clamp, sharp electrode, voltammetry and bilayer recording.

12. The amplifier should contain different resistor ranges available in voltage-clamp mode, and in current-clamp mode to allow a dynamic range of current that can be measured and applied.

13. The amplifier should have two BNC outputs (a primary and secondary one) to inform the digitizer of the . Various signals should be closable for each, including Command Potential, Membrane Current, Membrane Potential, and 100xAC Membrane Potential.

14. The amplifier and software should provide the ability for rapid automatic mode-switching between current and voltage clamp using an external trigger command or a unique internal voltage threshold detection.

15. The amplifier should automatically suppress compensation circuitry if undesirable current or voltage oscillations are detected.

16. The amplifier should be able to automatically inject current to preserve membrane potential at a desired level during current clamp.

17. The amplifier should be computer controlled, and communicates via a standard USB port, thus no special computer cards are necessary.

18. The amplifier should have audio inputs/outputs available to translate electrical voltage signals into audio signals to enable tracking the resistance of the pipette seal or detecting patterns of activity.

19. The digitizer should eliminate 50 or 60 Hz line-frequency noises and associated high frequency harmonics up to four channels, thus enabling cellular network studies without signal distortion.

This should occur on up to four digitizer analog inputs in parallel and analog input of up to 20 V peal to peak.

20. The digitizer should provide a fast-adaptive noise rate for changing noise pattern in less than one second.

21. The digitizer should not be a filter and not cause signal distortion, such as, frequency change, amplitude attenuation, phase shift, and DC voltage change.

22. The digitizer should have low-noise, high-precision 16-bit analog outputs for precise stimulation.

23. The digitizer should have at least 8 separate DACs, allowing 8 simultaneous waveforms for higher throughput or more complex neuronal network experiments.

24. The digitizer should operate at a maximum sampling rate of 500 kHz per channel on all 8 input channels simultaneously.

25. The digitizer analog input noise levels should be very low, so the digitizer is not only usable for whole-cell but also for single-channel experiments.

26. The digitizer should provide at least 8 analog input channels. This high number of inputs allows one instrument to perform a wide variety of experiments, ranging from multiple electrodes in a brain slice to whole-animal physiology.

27. The digitizer should have at least 8 separate ADCs. This virtually eliminates any crosstalk noise between analog input channels, even with large amplitude differentials between input signals.

28. The digitizer should have several digital triggering options for flexible interfacing with other hardware devices, such as valve controllers, stimulators and imaging systems.

29. The digitizer should connect to computers via a standard USB 2.0 port. This makes both desktop and laptop installation extremely simple and easy.

30. The digitizer should be rack-mount ready for a standard 2U rack. The front panel also provides convenient access to almost all functionality.

6. Quantity: 4 Amplifiers, 4 Digitizers and 4 Software

7. Delivery:

Delivery of all items shall be within thirty (30) days after receipt of order to the following address:

35 Convent Drive, Bldg. 35A, Room 2E461, Bethesda, MD 20892

Attn: Hugo Tejeda / Scott Stavrou

All deliverables shall be packaged and shipped in accordance with Government specifications. At a minimum, all deliverables shall be marked with the contract number and Contractor name.