Sutter Sutter Diagonal Micro-Operating System TRIO™-245

Illustration: TRIO-245 equipped with Sutter IPA® probe (not included)

TRIO™-245
3-Axis / 0-90 Diagonal Micromanipulator System

• Product Description
• Specifications
• Pricing
• Technical Information

The TRIO™-245 from Sutter Instrument is a highly stable three-axis manipulator with 25 mm of travel per axis. The TRIO's synthetic fourth axis can be software-configured to any angle between 0 and 90 degrees for diagonal movement. Featuring a leadscrew design, the TRIO-245 has a smaller overall size and footprint than most manipulators, making it ideal for applications with limited space.

The TRIO-245 controller utilizes advanced software and mechanical design, eliminating the need to keep motors powered during recording. This removes motor heating effects and results in the manipulator with the lowest electrical noise in the industry. This stability ensures that Sutter manipulators do not drift during experiments.

The integrated Rotary Optical Encoder (ROE) controller is compact, occupying minimal bench space; operates quietly with no fan; and is user-friendly. No rack-mount controller is required. Position coordinates (relative or absolute) are displayed directly on the ROE. The TRIO manipulator employs a logarithmic acceleration algorithm, eliminating the need to select a speed. As the ROE knob is turned faster, acceleration increases. This allows for smoother and more intuitive control of electrode positioning without stopping to change speed or removing hands from the knob. Additionally, it features a Y-axis lock (accessible via DIP switch), permitting only X/Z axis movement during repositioning from home to work points.

Five conveniently placed buttons control all the functions needed during normal operation. Hold the [WORK] button to quickly store a work position; pressing the [WORK] button later returns the manipulator to that position. The [HOME] button moves the manipulator to a second position, typically set to a point farthest from the microscope for quick pipette exchange. Pressing the [SPEED] button cycles through 4 speed ranges. With practice, speed changes may become unnecessary; however, three low-speed ranges are provided for users requiring very high magnification operation. Holding the [SPEED] button for three seconds locks the knob to prevent accidental movement. Pressing the [RELATIVE] button toggles between relative and absolute coordinates; holding it zeros the relative coordinates. Finally, the [PULSE] button activates the pulse movement mode, producing small, rapid bursts of motion, which is beneficial for cell penetration with sharp electrodes. Holding [PULSE] for three seconds sets or modifies the fourth axis angle, adjustable between 0 and 90 degrees.

Designed with flexibility in mind, DIP switches on the controller allow the user to change the direction of movement generated by turning the ROE knob according to preference. The TRIO comes standard with a universal mounting system compatible with the most common probe or pipette holders.

Features
• Three independent axes - 25 mm orthogonal travel in X, Y, and Z axes
• Software-based diagonal axis with user-selectable angle (0-90 degrees)
• Sub-micron (less than 100 nm) resolution
• Fast movement, up to 3 mm/s speed (when homing)
• Mechanically robust construction with high stability
• Compact, fanless, user-friendly ROE controller saves bench and rack space
• Capable of carrying one kilogram
• Button control for multiple functions - Work, Home, Lock, Pulse, Relative, Speed, and Angle.
• Suitable for in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological recording
• Universal mounting system for probe or pipette holders
• DIP switch on ROE selects the direction of movement generated by turning the ROE knob
• USB interface for computer control