Dagan Corporation has recently developed an integrating patch clamp that uses a capacitor in the headstage to sense charge. Both the noise and band width characteristics of this instrument are superior to those of resistive patch clamps. However, preliminary studies indicate that the packages of the individual electronic components are adding significant noise to the system. Under the direction of Dr. Allan Erickson, the firm will examine background noise and determine methods to reduce this noise to a minimum. The applied approach will involve the use of a hybrid integrated circuit with unique packaging materials. In Phase 1 of the research, the optimal choices of materials for various parts of the package will be determined. Phase 2 focus on developing an actual probe incorporating the knowledge gained in Phase 1. In Phase 3, the patch clamp probe designed in Phase 2 will be combined with the remaining support circuitry, and a commercial patch clamp will be built and marketed. In addition, a general purpose current monitor for sub-picoamp measurements will be developed for use in other instruments.
