Multichannel Systems MEA Manual - Manual (Page 14)

MEA Manual
14
4.2 Standard MEA
60MEA100/10-ITO, 60MEA200/10iR-ITO, 60MEA200/30iR-ITO, 60MEA100/10iR-TI, 60MEA200/10-Ti,
60MEA200/30-Ti, 60MEA200/10iR-TI, 60MEA200/30iR-Ti,60MEA500/10iR-Ti, 60MEA500/30iR-Ti
Standard MEAs have 60 electrodes in an 8 x 8 layout grid with electrode diameters of 10 μm or 30 μm,
and interelectrode distances of 100 μm, 200 μm. The MEAs with an interelectrode distance of 500 μm
have a 6 x 10 layout grid.
Versions 200/10, 200/30, 100/10 are available without or with an internal reference electrode as indicated
by the abbreviation iR. You can connect the internal reference electrode directly to the amplifier's ground
and will not need silver pellets for grounding the bath anymore. Please refer to the MEA manual delivered
with your MEA amplifier for more information.
The flat, round electrodes are made of titanium nitride (TiN). MEAs with TiN electrodes are very stable.
Therefore, the MEAs can be reused several times and are perfect for long-time experiments (up to several
weeks and even months). The electrode impedance ranges between 30 k and 400 k depending on the
electrode diameter. Generally, the smaller the electrode, the higher is the impedance.
Tracks are made of titanium (Ti) and contact pads are made of titanium nitride (TiN) or indium tin oxide
(ITO); insulation material is silicon nitride. ITO contact pads and tracks are transparent, for a perfect view
of the specimen under the microscope.
Important: MEAs are not symmetrical! That is, why the writing (for example NMI, LEITER, MEA type) on
the MEA chip should be on the right side viewed from the front, with the sockets of the amplifier in the
back. MEAs with one big internal reference electrode should be placed with reference electrode to the left
side in the amplifier. Otherwise, the MEA layout will not match with the pin layout of the channel map in
MC_Rack.
Using standard MEAs
Standard MEAs can be used for a wide variety of applications. They are robust and heat-stabilized. They can
be autoclaved and coated with different procedures for cell and tissue cultures. Generally, they can be used
for acute experiments as well as long-term cultures.