On the topic of iOS apps, MATLAB has released v3.0 of their mobile app. The most apparent changes are UI usability improvements.
(MATLAB link, App Store link)
Posts tagged with gadgets
Sensapex is the new kid on the block for micromanipulators, and theirs have an ultra small footprint with 20mm of travel on 3 axes. Here are some pictures of one of the first production runs:
To change pipettes, the manipulators have a tilt-back action.
The tilt-back action should help conserve space in crowded setups, but the arc might not be clear. Some sort of sliding back and/or twisting motion might be needed.
They’re very small. Check out the Axon headstage next to them.
It’s really built to be a pipette holder-type manipulator rather than a larger, headstage holder-type manipulator. They have magnetic and bolt-on headstage mounting options for Axon, Heka, and npi.
They have a “high load” version that should handle 200g (the MultiClamp headstage is about 90g). So it should be possible to mount about any headstage directly on the manipulator. Having the headstage too far away from the pipette can cause noise problems, so this might be what people want to look for.
Here’s the controller:
They’re also considering releasing the user interface as open source. This is from Mikko, the CEO:
We are using PC-software in the R&D and testing, but we don’t yet have computer interface for the customers. We have had some requests for it though so it is in our R&D plan. However, we are happy to provide drivers, function calls etc. if someone wants to implement control to their existing software (Matlab, C or Labview based). I’ve been thinking of going for the open-source approach for the user-interface software.
The killjoy afficiando commenters at Hack a Day love to deride as unsophisticated any project that uses an Ardunio (e.g. this thread). The platform has become so popular that, to co-opt a concern about Gutenberg’s moveable type: “it makes electronics the infatuation of people who have no business doing electronics.”
So why not make it even easier? Enter Teagueduino. Solder-free, connector-wired boards and components… a new, slick and intutive IDE… and a way-overfunded Kickstarter drive to pay for its development. It’s all open source, of course. (link)
More cleverness from Taro Ishikawa. Instead of buying a homeothermic heating pad for surgeries (these often cost > $1000), Taro used some basic industrial process control items. He bought his stuff in Japan, but similar items are available from McMaster-Carr in the US.
Part 1
A Precision Programmable Temperature PID Controller, about $200 (shown at top of post)
(Example McMaster-Carr item: 38615K71)
This connects to a temperature probe and a heating element to maintain a pre-set temperature. They’re built with fairly robust feedback algorithms and logic to maximize stability.
Part 2
A temperature probe, about $20
(Example McMaster-Carr item: 9251T91)
Pretty basic.
Part 3
A heating pad, about $50
These are available in a variety of sizes.
(Example McMaster-Carr item: 35475K722)
Just make sure all the parts are electrically compatible. Depending on which ones you select, you may also need a power supply. (The standard Labrigger disclaimer applies.)
Seeed Studio repurposed parts for cheap MP3 players and made a production miniature oscilloscope, the DSO nano. I like this small tool and bought one of the first iterations (see image above). It’s been so popular, it even has it’s own cheap knock-offs (e.g.).
They followed up with the handsome DSO nano v2.
Most recently, they have a beta run of the DSO Quad.
Also an option is the even smaller XMEGA Xprotolab.
Check out how small it is.
Most of these devices are quite slow, 2 MHz or less, but for many signals, that’s fine. Since they’re based on CPUs like the ARM Cortex M3, they have a lot of nice features, like storage, built-in test signals, and a configurable spectrum analyzer mode. Interestingly, they’re also open source, so you can modify the user interface as you see fit.
Hat tip to CW.
Laser pointers are handy sources for coherent light. The green and blue varieties are actually diode-pumped solid state lasers, all in a hand-held package. The IR wavelengths used for pumping are typically left in the beam, so your green laser pointer is actually a fairly bright IR laser with some green thrown in.
This was discussed in a NIST technical note (arXiv). Here’s the spectrum for a green laser pointer they measured. Note that it’s way hotter in the IR than in green.
Besides imaging and aligning optics (and, apparently, pointing), they’re useful for demonstrating different physical properties of light.
I rather enjoyed rpg’s post on using a laser pointer to investigate the wave nature of light. Key quote: “So the wavelength of my laser is about 500 nm. Seeing as it’s rated as 532 nm and I’m a biologist, I’d call that a result.” The basic idea is to replicate Young’s classic double-slit experiment using a laser pointer as the coherent source.
It reminded me of this old Scientific American article about how you can make your own Quantum Eraser.
This is a cute little product that lets you retrofit a standard microscope for fluorescence. It contains an LED light source, dichroic, and filters. It may be clumsy to have this big blue cannon jutting out from the objective, but it’s a small price to pay to turn an unused microscope into a fluorescence scope. (link)
Arduino is a popular, cheap (around 25 USD), and open source microcontroller platform. We use them all over the lab. Students can learn to program them very quickly, they’re versatile, and there is a large user base with tutorials that make implementations easy. The programming environment is quite simple and is almost identical to Processing. In fact, there’s an Arduino plug-in for Processing. There are certainly more powerful options available, but in order to get things done without much learning or development time, these simple tools are great. For example, I have one of these cards wired up to 8 configurable BNC jacks, and it acts a general purpose logic box and timer. Sometime I have it delivering trains of stimuli at the onset of a trigger pulse, other times it manages behavioral rigs. The USB connector is exposed in the back, and I just upload a new program whenever I need to change settings.
Here’s what the programming interface (IDE) looks like:
As you can see, the syntax is pretty C-like and simple. The program above simply reads the input from a push button switch and lights an LED while the switch is pressed. It can be interfaced with many different programming languages/environments (e.g., MATLAB, Python, C++, etc.), usually using the serial port to exchange data.
The hardware comes in a variety of official versions, with different form factors, wireless capabilities, and so forth. Other manufacturers have released their own compatible variations referred to as “Freeduinos”, or other “-duino”-suffixed words to distinguish them from the official versions of Arduino hardware. There are also a large number of plug-in shields for ethernet connectivity, driving motors, and other applications. There are many, many tutorials to get new people started interfacing with other hardware, including sensors, motors, displays, and flash memory.
The best place to get started is on Arduino’s own website. Toolduino is a fun app for a beginner to start with. It’s handy for setting up circuits, prior to programming.
The DiRisi Lab at UCSF shares their STL files for 3D printing some equipment. There’s a pipette holder, several gel combs, an objective case, and more. You can print your own with your favorite 3D printing firm (Shapeways?), with or without modifications. (link)
Need a 1W blue laser for activating channelrhodopsin? This is a very inexpensive and relatively simple project to do yourself. Buy the kit here. The web page is not a stellar example of design, but the video above is easy enough to follow.
Starting with an inexpensive but overbuilt metal flash light, a laser diode and optics are fitted, along with an upgrade to the power supply to source the 1A needed for the diode. The diode itself is about $55, the total price is under $200.
It might not be rock stable, but even the $3000 solid state lasers I’ve used flicker like crazy. For many applications, this is tolerable.
The usual Labrigger disclaimer applies.
(via)