Last Updated on January 7, 2021
There are many ways to speed up your microdialysis experiments and ensure their success.
During surgery:
- Stereotaxic frames with digital readouts are much quicker to use than ones still equipped with vernier scales: the instant readout and ability to zero each axis speed up each movement of the manipulator. Digital readouts are available as a retrofit for many older stereotaxic frames. Additionally, dual manipulator stereotaxic frames can speed up each surgery by keeping multiple tools accessible at all times.
- After the initial incision, scratch the surface of the skull with a scalpel: cement will bond more tightly to the roughened surface.
- Wipe the skull with hydrogen peroxide to help dry it and then wipe with epinephrine to prevent bleeding. For implantation to be successful, the surface of the skull must be dry. If the surface is still damp when cement is applied, the trapped moisture can lead to infection and necrosis of the skull.
- Switching to UV cure cement lets you avoid mixing a new batch (powder plus solvent) of acrylic cement each time your previous batch hardens. A simple UV light hardens the cement when you need it to – not before.
For sample collection:
- Use 96 well plates to collect samples instead of individual sample tubes. This eliminates capping, labeling, and handling of individual tubes as samples are collected and moved to storage. Used in conjunction with well plates, self-closing plate seals such as silicone sealing mats and cap mats will protect samples from evaporation and contamination.
- Use the best fraction collector. The Amuza FC-90 collects from up to four animals/probes simultaneously and never skips a sample. Samples can be collected into 96 well plates or racks of individual tubes, and are kept refrigerated throughout.
And finally – Ask Amuza!
Amuza (formerly Eicom USA) has decades of experience in microdialysis and HPLC-ECD, and we are always ready to help.