In the Coleman Superfusion Bath, the tissue is located in a horizontally split chamber. The lower part of the chamber can be swung away to simplify access to the preparation. The lower end of the tissue is held by a stainless steel hook. The thread attached to the top of the tissue passes through an opening at the top of the chamber for direct connection to the force transducer. The superfusion solution is fed by a multi-channel roller pump through a stainless steel cannula to the thread and it runs down the thread and superfuses the tissue. Two separate solution paths are available for superfusion with and without test substance. Two platinum wires for field stimulation are placed parallel to the tissue to form the stimulation field. The solution running down provides electrical contact between the electrodes and the tissue. The superfusion vessels are made from an acrylate block and do not require thermostating owing to the low thermal conductivity of the material used.
The superfusion chambers are mounted on a horizontal support rod according to the number of channels required. A stand for 4-position superfusion system is available. The superfusate is thermostated immediately before entering the chamber by a two line heat exchanger supplied from a water thermostat. The heat exchanger is made of a tubing coil that can be easily replaced. A collecting trough is located underneath the superfusion chambers for collecting of the used solution; alternatively the superfusate can be collected from the chamber outlet for recirculation.