I am trying to set up multiple electrophysiology systems (patch clamp rig & peripheral nerve recording system), and each one is picking up bursting activity in the absence of a biological sample. I have attached an example of a current clamp recording in Clampex with the Vm_scaled and I_Output channels shown. For the recordings shown, the headstage was attached to a model cell in the 'patch' position and the faraday cage was fully closed. As you can see, the current output channel shows periodic bursting activity. In the nerve recordings, these events can be confused with extracellular action potentials given their similar properties when zoomed in (also shown). Has anyone else experienced this kind of noise, and if so how were you able to eliminate it? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Hi Garrett Scarpa ,
Based on your description, that kind of bursting activity seems to be due to electromagnetic interference (EMI) or ground loops, both of which are common sources of noise in electrophysiology experiments.
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): This type of noise can be caused by external electronic devices, power supplies, or radio-frequency interference (RFI) from nearby equipment. Ensure that your equipment is properly shielded in a Faraday cage, as you mentioned and check if everything are grounded correctly.
Ground Loops: Ground loops occur when different pieces of equipment are grounded at different potentials. This can cause oscillations or periodic noise in the signal, which could resemble bursting activity. Ensure that all equipment is connected to a single ground point. Using a "star grounding" configuration, where all equipment shares one common ground, can help reduce ground loops. Also check if the power supply is stable and well-regulated to prevent fluctuations that might cause grounding issues.
I hope this help
Best
I was able to find the ground loop, thanks so much Demos Kynigopoulos
Another thing which can give similar types of 'noise' is a mobile phone or other mobile device receiving an SMS or handshaking - these need to be kept far away...
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