Thomas quartz/platinum-tungsten fiber microelectrodes permit the recording of extracellular potentials with excellent single-unit isolation, signal to noise-ratio and temporal stability. Thomas RECORDING GmbH offers a complete line of customized metal microelectrode arrays. The arrays can be equipped with electrodes, tetrodes, heptodes, optical fibers, stimulation electrodes, or injection pipettes, depending on customer requirements. Any electrode arrangement (e.g., linear, concentric, etc.) with different interelectrode spacings can be realized. The arrays can be equipped with suitable connectors for your preamplifier (e.g., Omnetics). We supply specific holders for mounting the electrode array to your microelectrode manipulator. We build your specific electrode array according to your requirements. Do not hesitste to contact us with your specific request! 

Product Description

Key Features

• Material: Quartzglass insulated Platinum/Tungsten

• Unique manufacturing technique offers high reproducibility of array geometry

• Signal quality: very good signal to noise ratio

• Customized arrays with electrode, tetrodes, heptodes, optical fibers, injection pipettes

• Customized connectors (e.g. Omnetics)

• Customized electrode holder for your electrode manipulator

• Arrays are avaialble for acute or chronic recording applications

20 Channel linear Tetrode Array

Recording Quality

The picture on the right side shows an extracellular recording in a rat brain with a single tetrode of a tetrode array.

Tetrode Array

with optical fiber

The Thomas RECORDING electrode arrays are available with optical fiber or electrical stimulation electrode. The picture on the left side shows a 4 tetrode (16 channel) array with an optical fiber in the middle position.    

Tetrode Array

with injection pipette

The Thomas RECORDING electrode arrays are available with injection pipettes. The picture on the right side shows a 4 tetrode (16 channel) array with an injection pipette in the middle position. We have used blue ink to simulate a drug injection.     

[1] Reitboeck, H.J.

Fiber microelectrodes for electrophysiological recordings,

J Neurosci Methods 8, 249-262 (1983).

[2] Reitboeck HJ.

A 19 channel matrix drive with individually controllable fiber microelectrodes for neurophysiological applications.

IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics 1983; 13: 676-683.

[3] Eckhorn R, Thomas U.

Fasermikroelektroden für technische und medizinische Anwendungen.

Hannover Messe. 1987.

[4] Mountcastle V.B., Reitboeck H.J., Poggio G.F., Steinmetz M.A.
Adaptation of the Reitboeck method of multiple microelectrode recording to the neocortex of the waking monkey,

Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 36 (1991) 77-84

[5] Eckhorn R, Thomas U.

A new method for the insertion of multiple microprobes into neural and muscular tissue, including fiber electrodes, fine wires, needles and microsensors.

J Neurosci Methods 1993; 49: 175-179.

Selected Publications

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