701C: Electrical Stimulator

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The 701C is a high-powered, bi-phase stimulator designed to meet the specific needs of muscle researchers. Regardless of solution composition, electrode size or electrode spacing, the 701C will deliver the power and flexibility you need for the most demanding of field stimulation protocols.

The unit can generate positive and negative pulses, as well as pulses of alternating bi-phase polarity. Pulse patterns produced by a computer or external device can also be used to control stimulator output, eliminating the need for multi-device synchronization.

The 701C can operate in constant current or constant voltage modes. When doing field stimulation in constant voltage mode, the current is dependent on the concentration of salt in the bath. As the concentration changes, so will the stimulation current. However, in constant current stimulation mode, stimulation remains constant regardless of changes to bath solution composition. The option to switch between these modes can be significant, depending on the research application and measurement objectives.

The ideal solution for field stimulation with the flexibility and control required for use as a nerve and in-situ muscle stimulator.

constant current and constant voltage modes with positive, negative and bi-phase output
current output up to 1 Amp
voltage output up to 80 Volts
on/off output switch for operator safety

rise-fall time of less than 5 μs
TTL control follow mode
voltage, current and pulse timing outputs
can be controlled using DMC program or 600A digital controller
710B stimulator switch integrated into 604A (604A-STIM) provides sequential control of up to 4 stimulators

Stories of Success

701C – A True Stimulator For Field and Nerve Stimulation

CHALLENGE

In 2009 Dr. Clifford Bayer of the VA Medical Center in Boise, Idaho was using an Aurora Scientific 701B stimulator and other equipment to study the necrotic infection after skeletal muscle injury. The 701B had been released a number of years earlier, but was designed only for field stimulation; it was difficult to precisely control the amount of current delivered to stimulate a nerve in-vivo. Dr. Bayer’s work was hampered by the inability to precisely control the current output.

SOLUTION

Aurora Scientific’s R&D team worked quickly to have a new stimulator that was high power enough for field stimulation but could deliver small and precise amounts of current for directly stimulating an animal’s nerve. A discrete mode switch was added to distinctly identify whether it was delivering a constant voltage or constant current controlled pulse. The stimulator also took on a smaller form factor saving space and reducing cost, allowing it to outperform its rivals at a more affordable price.

RESULTS

Dr. Bayer was able to gain valuable data because of the new 701C design. With in-situ and in-vivo measurements increasing in interest for science research, the stimulator has become a reliable mainstay for all Aurora Scientific test systems. More recently other features such as sync and monitors for both voltage and current have been added. The unique ‘constant current’ feature has changed paradigms regarding how stimulation protocols are written and referenced and made a previous generation of stimulator isolation units for constant current completely obsolete.

Select References

Sharp, Paul S. et al. “Physiological characterization of muscle strength with variable levels of dystrophin restoration in mdx mice following local antisense therapy.” Molecular Therapy (2011) DOI: 10.1038/mt.2010.213
Sloboda et al. “Myeloid Cell Responses to Contraction-induced Injury Differ in Muscles of Young and Old Mice” The Journal of Gerontology Series A (2018) DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gly086
Rizzuto, Emanuele et al. “Measuring Neuromuscular Junction Functionality in the SOD1G93A Animal Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.” Annals of Biomedical Engineering (2015) DOI: 10.1007/s10439-015-1259-x
Nay et al. “Gut bacteria are critical for optimal muscle function: a potential link with glucose homeostasis” American Journal of Physiology Endocrinology and Metabolism (2019) DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00521.2018
Carosio, Sylvia et al. “Generation of ex vivo-vascularized Muscle Engineered Tissue (X-MET).” Scientific Reports (2013) DOI: 10.1038/srep01420
Spinazzola, Janelle M. et al. “Gamma-sarcoglycan is required for the response of archvillin to mechanical stimulation in skeletal muscle.” Human Molecular Genetics (2015) DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddv008
Sloboda, Darcee D. et al. “Force measurement during contraction to assess muscle function in zebrafish larvae.” Journal of Visualized Experiments (2013) DOI: 10.3791/50539
Pearsall et al. “Follistatin-based ligand trap ACE-083 induces localized hypertrophy of skeletal muscle with functional improvement in models of neuromuscular disease” Scientific Reports (2019) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47818-w
Ahn, Bumsoo et al. “Diaphragm atrophy and contractile dysfunction in a murine model of pulmonary hypertension.” PLoS ONE (2013) DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0062702
Roberts, Brandon M. et al. “Diaphragm and ventilatory dysfunction during cancer cachexia.” The FASEB Journal (2013) DOI: 10.1096/fj.12-222844

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Output Pulse Electrical Specifications	701C
Pulse Output Voltage [V]	0 to ±80
Pulse Output Current [milliamp]	0.4 to 1,000
Output Voltage Adjustment	Range switch: 20V, 80V Adjust Potentiometer: 0 to 100%
Output Current Adjustment	Range switch: 10mA, 100mA, 1A Adjust Potentiometer: 0 to 100%
Pulse Width [millisecond]	Pulse Trigger Input: 0.01 to 500 Manual Trigger: 1.25
Pulse Rise and Fall Time¹ [µsec]	<10
Pulse Recurrence Frequency [Hz]	Single shot to 20,000
Pulse Phase	Positive, Bi-Phase, Negative
Maximum Duty Cycle [%]	20
Pulse Output Control	On/Off Switch
Pulse Output Connector	BNC

Trigger	701C
Trigger Modes	Manual, Follow (via Pulse Trigger BNC)
Pulse Trigger Input [V]	+2 to +15

Trigger	701C
Sync Monitor [V]	+5V pulse/output pulse. Sync pulse width same as output pulse width
Voltage Monitor [V]	1 V/10 V output voltage (only active during pulse)
Current Monitor [V]	1 V/1 A output current (only active during pulse)
Monitor Connectors	BNC, front panel

General Specifications	701C
Operating Temperature [°C]	0 – 40
Power Required	100, 120, 220, 240 VAC, 50/60 Hz. available
Power Consumption [W]	50
Weight [kg]	3.0
Dimensions [cm]	21W (1/2 rack mount) x 25D x 9H (2U)