Mayflower Horizontal Tissue Bath System
For isometric contraction force measurements on small muscle preparations (urethra, papillary muscle, cavernous body), vascular rings, or tracheal rings.
To ensure that your system is properly configured as a complete setup that meets your experimental needs, please email us at sales@harvardapparatus.com or call us at 800-597-0580. In Europe, please call +49 7665 92000 or email sales@hugo-sachs.de
The Mayflower Tissue Bath is a horizontal tissue chamber for isometric contraction force measurements on small muscle preparations (urethra, papillary muscle, cavernous body), vascular rings, or tracheal rings. It has an integrated transducer holder for connecting an FT20 Force Transducer.
Features & Benefits
Applications
Set Up & Operations
Basic Equipment & Available Models
Other Components
Additional Equipment Required
Features & Benefits
- Horizontal tissue bath for isometric contraction measurements using a force transducer (FT20)
- Can be used as a flow-through or closed-loop system
- Possibility of electrical stimulation
- Exchangeable holders depending on tissue used (for vascular or tracheal rings, for strips)
Applications
Contractile force measurements on small muscle preparations (urethra, papillary muscle, cavernous body), vascular rings, or tracheal rings
Set Up & Operation
The modular concept of this apparatus offers a wide range of different arrangements to meet individual requirements regarding bath geometry, tissue holders and stimulation electrodes. The horizontal arrangement of the tissue and the open top provide ideal conditions for preparation and experimentation.
The various parts of the apparatus are made mainly from Plexiglas or stainless steel and are therefore inert and corrosion-resistant. The solution flows in from a roller pump and passes through a heat exchanger, the outflow is under suction through a suction tube with height adjustment by the same pump. A frit for aeration is located in the tissue chamber. Two connection sockets for the stimulation electrodes are located on either side of the tissue chamber.
Basic Equipment & Available Models
The basic equipment includes a plexiglass (acrylate) support chassis with a movable mounting platform for preload adjustment through a micrometer screw. This platform receives the tissue chamber and acts as holder for the FT20 force transducer. The acrylate support also includes a glass heat exchanger for pre-heating of the perfusate solution. (See image) This acrylate support is included with both the Flow-Through System (73-2155) and the Incubation System (73-3600).
Flow-Through System (73-2155)
Includes support chassis as described above, the tissue standard bath chamber, glass heat exchanger (4 ml) and tissue holder with hooks for strips (73-2671). Maximum bath volume 5 ml, depending on filling height. This is a flow-through bath.
The tissue chamber is carved out of an acrylate block and placed on the support stand. The chamber is completely open at the top and has a small bath volume of 3 to 5 ml. This chamber includes the tissue holder, the connections for electrical stimulation electrodes, a frit for aeration and a draw-off tube with height adjustment to set the bath volume. As it is not jacketed, continuous flow through the chamber is required.
Incubation System (73-3600)
Includes support chassis as described above, the jacketed tissue bath chamber and the tissue holder with hooks for strips (73-2671). Maximum bath volume 5 ml, depending on filling height.
The tissue chamber is jacketed. The bottom of the chamber is made of a Teflon-coated stainless steel plate to optimize the temperature stability of the solution. A additional small stainless steel heat exchanger is also built in to avoid temperature fluctuation. The incubation chamber can also be used as a flow-through superfusion chamber. The superfusion chamber cannot be used for incubation.
Other Components
Electrical Stimulation Electrodes
The stimulation electrodes can be of different types:
- Coaxial electrode for contact stimulation (stainless steel). If point stimulation is required, a Miniature Coaxial Stimulation Electrode is installed using our Mini Ball Joint Positioning System. The electrode can therefore precisely and easily be placed.
- Two-plate electrodes for field stimulation (platinum or Ag/AgCI)
- Flexible platinum wires for direct contact with the tissue
Tissue Holders
Four different tissue holders are available. Tissue holders can be exchanged. The holders consist of two parts, a fixed part positioning the tissue inside the bath and the part transmitting the contractile force to the transducer.
Jacketed Bath
Replacement for non-jacketed standard bath in 73-2155 for incubation applications. Does not require continuous flow through. Included warming coil and aeration frit. Can be equipped with electrodes for field stimulation. Important: Requires the 73-2155 Mayflower mainframe.
Additional Equipment Required
Multi-channel roller pump for the perfusate circuit, thermocirculator for keeping the perfusate solution at constant temperature, FT20 Force Tranducer
Note: The Mayflower Tissue Bath is especially designed for FT20 Force Transducer and it is not possible to modify the Transducer Holder to suit other transducer models.