Plexon offers a wide variety of products for neurological research. The most common products are grouped into the broad categories of Systems, Hardware, Software, and Electrodes. The menu also contains links to the Online Store and Research Applications.
Plexon offers a variety of complete systems as shown by the products below.
OmniPlex®
The combination of superior front-end amplification and flexible, intuitive control software specifically tailored to the neuroscientist conducting extracellular recordings make the OmniPlex® system the most advanced neural data acquisition and online spike sorting system on the market today.
A demo version of the OmniPlex® software is available in the Related Documents | Downloads section below.
Note: The 96 and 128 channel OmniPlex® systems are now available!
Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP)
The Plexon Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP) sets the standard for programmable amplification, filtering, and real-time spike sorting of multi-electrode signals acquired in neurophysiological research.
BioCAM4096
BioCAM4096™ from 3Brain is the first commercially available large-scale high-resolution microelectrode array (MEA) platform integrating 4096 electrodes on an active sensor 2.7 mm x 2.7 mm. Based on patented CMOS technology, BioCAM4096™ enables real-time acquisition of extracellular electrophysiological signals from in-vitro electrogenic cultures and brain slices at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution.
MEA Workstation
MEA Workstation (MEA WS) is a complete system for recording and analyzing up to 64 channels of microelectrode arrays (MEAs).
Recorder
Recorder/16 and Recorder/64 are Windows®-based neural data acquisition systems for continuous digitization of up to 16 channels (Recorder/16) or 64 channels (Recorder/64) of any combination of spike signals, thresholded spike segments, field potentials, and external digital events.
CinePlex
CinePlex is a digital video recording and tracking system that enables the synchronization of video with neural data files.
Stimulator 2.0
The Plexon Stimulator 2.0 is an electrically isolated 16-channel constant current stimulator system. The stimulator can generate arbitrary waveform patterns, which can be initiated from the software interface or from externally triggered digital inputs. The high-precision stimulator delivers waveforms with an unprecedented 30 nAmp resolution and 1 µsec temporal resolution. The actual current and voltage delivered to each electrode can be conveniently monitored on a per-channel basis. The stimulator also serves as a high-precision 16-channel Impedance Tester.
Some of Plexon's most common hardware categories are shown below.
Commutators
Plexon offers a variety of commutators that allow the test animal to move freely within the environment.
Connectors
Plexon offers mating connectors for all the Plexon headstages. Most Plexon headstages have female Omnetics input connectors. Please refer to the images below to find the exact connector you require. Contact Plexon at info@plexon.com if you do not find the connector you need.
Electrode Adaptors
Plexon manufactures a wide range of adaptors to interface electrodes to Plexon headstages and data acquisition systems. If we do not currently have the necessary adaptor to meet your needs, we can make one. Contact a Plexon sales representative more more details.
Headstages
Plexon offers three main types of headstages: high-impedance, low-impedance, and wireless.
Preamplifiers
Plexon has recently introduced a new line of preamplifier boards with improved common-mode rejection capability with both fixed reference and software-programmable reference selection, and lower noise for improved SNR recordings. These preamp boards represent the third-generation of plexon spike, field potential, and wide-band boards for use either with the Plexon MAP and RECORDER systems, or as stand-alone hardware components for use with other data acquisition systems.
Plexon's major software applications are shown below.
Neuroexplorer
Neuroexplorer is a neurophysiological data analysis package with a rich set of analysis options and functions. NeuroExplorer can be used to analyze data files offline, or used in realtime with the MAP System and OmniPlex System control software.
Offline Sorter
Offline Sorter (OFS) version 3 is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for viewing and classifying action potential waveforms (spikes) collected from single electrodes, stereotrodes, and tetrodes.
RASPUTIN
RASPUTIN (Real-time Acquisition System Programs for Unit Timing in Neuroscience) is a suite of software tools that work with the Plexon Multichannel Acquisition Processor (MAP) hardware.
Plexon's offers a variety of electrodes as shown below. Plexon also offers optional carbon nanotube coating.
Carbon Nanotube Electrode Coating
Carbon Nanotube coating significantly enhances the recording and stimulation capabilities of metal electrodes by decreasing electrode impedance and increasing charge transfer, while leaving the cross-sectional area of the electrode surface unchanged.
Plextrode® Floating Microelectrode Array
Plexon offers the Plextrode™ Floating Microelectrode Array (FMA) for long-term chronic applications. The Plextrode FMA is a unique microelectrode array, designed to improve upon the benefits offered by a standard chronic array while also accommodating numerous, user-defined specifications. This allows the Plextrode FMA to be configured to specific research requirements.
Plextrode® Microwire Array
The Plextrode® microwire arrays are most commonly used in chronic, freely moving animal studies. They are Plexon's best selling electrode array due to both recording reliability and cost efficiency.
Plextrode® U-Probe
U-Probes are now available with thinner probe diameters and thinner reinforcement tubes. The 16- and 24-channel U-Probes now come in 185 µm and 210 µm outer diameters, respectively. The thin U-Probes with 15 μm diameter platinum/iridium electrode sites have been proven to be excellent recording probes for both single units and field potentials. Larger diameter electrode sites are also available.
The new, thin 460 μm diameter reinforcement tubes result in less space between the the thin section of the UProbe and the guide tube, for increased stability while pushing through dura.
All UProbes can be fitted with either fiber optic lines or fluid channels for drug delivery. The location of the optic fiber and fluid capillary along the shaft of the UProbe is user defined.
Microdrives
Lightweight, screw-driven microdrives are easy to assemble and load, and are available in 4 and 8 channel varieties. The electrode carriers can be used with single wires (1 wire per tube), stereotrodes (2 wires per tube), or tetrodes (4 wires per tube). The headstage interface board is separate from the microdrive, for improved electrode stability when attaching/detaching the headstage amplifier.
Available in both kits and fully assembled electrode drives with microwires attached (assembly service fee will apply)