A simple, low-cost and fast Peltier thermoregulation set-up for electrophysiology

Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications

Effective temperature control is crucial in many studies of isolated biological tissues, with preparations often requiring specialized holding chambers. In these situations, the design flexibility and optimizations offered by a custom made temperature controller may be preferable over a commercial model. We present a versatile controller for heating and cooling applications, providing simple step-by-step instructions to mathematically model your specific system and optimize controller parameters. The apparatus uses analog components and linear stages to simplify circuit comprehension and customization, achieving fast transitions with small static errors and overshoots over a wide range of temperatures without readjustment. A fully featured rackable enclosure is complemented by two temperature probes based on the LMT70A linear microchip sensor (for the control loop and for bath monitoring). BNC outputs provide scaled probe signals for continuous temperature data acquisition. The maximum achievable power output of the controller is -23.5 W/+22.0 W (-4.7 V/+4.4 V, ±5.0 A), sufficient to bring a well designed holder for standard 35 mm chambers from 23 °C up to 37 °C in ~1 min and down to 3 °C in ~4 min. Any biologist with some technical prowess should be able to follow our instructions from modeling to assembly and calibration.

Automated Non-invasive Video-Microscopy of Oyster Spat Heart Rate during Acute Temperature Change: Impact of Acclimation Temperature

We developed an automated, non-invasive method to detect real-time cardiac contraction in post-larval (1.1–1.7 mm length), juvenile oysters (i.e., oyster spat) via a fiber-optic trans-illumination system. The system is housed within a temperature-controlled chamber and video microscopy imaging of the heart was coupled with video edge-detection to measure cardiac contraction, inter-beat interval, and heart rate (HR). We used the method to address the hypothesis that cool acclimation (10°C vs. 22°C—T_a10 or T_a22, respectively; each n = 8) would preserve cardiac phenotype (assessed via HR variability, HRV analysis and maintained cardiac activity) during acute temperature changes. The temperature ramp (TR) protocol comprised 2°C steps (10 min/experimental temperature, T_exp) from 22°C to 10°C to 22°C. HR was related to T_exp in both acclimation groups. Spat became asystolic at low temperatures, particularly T_a22 spat (T_a22: 8/8 vs. T_a10: 3/8 asystolic at T_exp = 10°C). The rate of HR decrease during cooling was less in T_a10 vs. T_a22 spat when asystole was included in analysis (P = 0.026). Time-domain HRV was inversely related to temperature and elevated in T_a10 vs. T_a22 spat (P < 0.001), whereas a lack of defined peaks in spectral density precluded frequency-domain analysis. Application of the method during an acute cooling challenge revealed that cool temperature acclimation preserved active cardiac contraction in oyster spat and increased time-domain HRV responses, whereas warm acclimation enhanced asystole. These physiologic changes highlight the need for studies of mechanisms, and have translational potential for oyster aquaculture practices.

A system for precise temperature control of isolated nervous tissue under optical access: application to multi-electrode recordings

BACKGROUND

Since temperature severely affects all physiological processes, exact temperature control during electrophysiological measurements is indispensable. However, none of the tempering system approaches previously described is fully satisfactory for extracellular recordings with sharp multi-electrode arrays (MEAs).

NEW METHOD

We developed a set-up offering a homogeneously tempered and at the same time light-transparent stage for an ex vivo preparation. The Peltier element based tempering unit of our system is physically separated from the preparation stage avoiding electrical disturbances of extracellular recordings. We implemented a digital feedback controller on a microcontroller to minimise the deviation between actual and set point temperature.

RESULTS

Our tempering system allows operation from 10°C to 45°C with a control error in steady state between 0.052°C (RMSE) and 0.115°C (RMSE). To document the versatility of our system, we performed extracellular MEA recordings from retinal ganglion cells of isolated retina under different temperature conditions. We found strong influences on light response properties, even for small temperature changes.

COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS

Currently used heating systems that allow top and bottom side optical access to a preparation typically exhibit low temperature accuracy, precision or homogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our system is adequate not only for experiments on a variety of species under physiological temperature conditions but also for studies on temperature effects on physiology in general. Though the setup was developed for the context of MEA recordings from retina it may be useful in other cases where optical access to the preparation from both, top and bottom side is required.

A system for applying rapid warming or cooling stimuli to cells during patch clamp recording or ion imaging

We describe a system for superfusing small groups of cells at a precisely controlled and rapidly adjustable local temperature. Before being applied to the cell or cells under study, solutions are heated or cooled in a chamber of small volume ( approximately 150 microl) and large surface area, sandwiched between four small Peltier elements. The current through the Peltier elements is controlled by a microprocessor using a PID (proportional-integral-derivative) feedback algorithm. The chamber can be heated to at least 60 degrees C and cooled to 0 degrees C, changing its temperature at a maximum rate of about 7 degrees C per second; temperature ramps can be followed under feedback control at up to 4 degrees C per second. Temperature commands can be applied from the digital-to-analogue converter of any laboratory interface or generated digitally by the microprocessor. The peak-to-peak noise contributed by the system does not exceed that contributed by a patch pipette, holder and headstage, making it suitable for single channel as well as whole cell recordings.