Responsible Instructor: Jin Ting-Yu
Contact: Life Sciences Building 602, Ext. 3530
I. Brief Operating Instructions:
Turn on the power switch on the left side.
Enter the program number and select a pre-configured pulling program.
Install the glass pipette: Place the glass pipette into the groove of the pipette holder on one side and secure it using the knob. Then push the pipette through the heating chamber and fix it with the holder on the other side.
Note: Do not apply excessive force to the pipette holder! Make sure the pipette does not touch the heating filament when inserting it into the heating chamber.Press the “PULL” button to pull the electrode.
Carefully remove the pulled microelectrode.
II. Steps to Create a New Pulling Program:
Run the RAMP TEST to determine the appropriate HEAT value (enough to melt the glass without burning the filament): Enter a new program, press “CLR” then “1” to clear parameters, install the glass pipette, and press “PULL” to run the RAMP TEST.
Record the RAMP TEST value, then press “RESET” to initialize.
Select a program, input the HEAT value obtained from the test according to the cursor prompts, adjust PULL, VELOCITY, TIME, and set the pulling cycles. Perform test pulls until microelectrodes meeting the desired specifications are obtained.
III. Tips for Controlling Electrode Tip Shape:
Changing different parameters in the pulling program can alter the tip taper and tip diameter. The effects of each parameter on electrode morphology are summarized below:
| Parameter | Increase | Decrease |
|---|---|---|
| HEAT | Tip diameter decreases, taper increases, impedance rises | Tip diameter increases, taper decreases, impedance drops |
| PULL | Tip diameter decreases, taper increases | Tip diameter increases, taper decreases |
| VELOCITY | Tip diameter decreases | Tip diameter increases |
| TIME | Taper decreases | Taper increases |
| PRESSURE (AIR FLOW) | Taper decreases, impedance decreases | Taper increases, impedance rises |
