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 m...

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Main Authors: Sabrina Asteriti, Lorenzo Cangiano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2020-10-01
Series:HardwareX
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722030064X
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author Sabrina Asteriti
Lorenzo Cangiano
author_facet Sabrina Asteriti
Lorenzo Cangiano
author_sort Sabrina Asteriti
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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spelling doaj.art-a585a622d529499ea45c6d577c4de2db2022-12-21T23:24:19ZengElsevierHardwareX2468-06722020-10-018e00155Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applicationsSabrina Asteriti0Lorenzo Cangiano1Dept. of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Dept. of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, ItalyDept. of Translational Research, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Corresponding author.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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722030064XHeatingCoolingIn vitroControl systemTemperatureElectrophysiology
spellingShingle Sabrina Asteriti
Lorenzo Cangiano
Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications
HardwareX
Heating
Cooling
In vitro
Control system
Temperature
Electrophysiology
title Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications
title_full Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications
title_fullStr Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications
title_full_unstemmed Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications
title_short Versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications
title_sort versatile bipolar temperature controller for custom in vitro applications
topic Heating
Cooling
In vitro
Control system
Temperature
Electrophysiology
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722030064X
work_keys_str_mv AT sabrinaasteriti versatilebipolartemperaturecontrollerforcustominvitroapplications
AT lorenzocangiano versatilebipolartemperaturecontrollerforcustominvitroapplications