Electrophysiological studies require fast motions of a double-bore (theta-glass) pipette across cell membranes. With a cell held in a patch clamp and monitored electrical-ly, one bore of the pipette flows a buffer solution, while the other carries a drug or other chemical. By quickly sweeping the pipette so one bore or the other suffuses the cell, its electrophysiological response can be correlated to the chemical environment.

Auburn, MA - Piezo system specialist PI introduces a breakthrough development in nanopositioning stage control. The new E-709 provides digital functionality at the price-point of an analog controller, all in the volume of a paperback book! The true digital servo performance comes without compromise:
Features and Advantages

Flexure Actuators for Speed, Precision and Force

PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. -- a leading manufacturer of piezo ceramic actuators and precision motion-control equipment for semiconductor, bio-medical and nanotechnology applications -- has released a new brochure on Lever Amplified Piezo Flexure Actuators.

The brochure presents a number of new applications along with a variety newly designed, low-cost flexure actuators for OEMs.

Traditional Piezo Systems Use

Physik Instrumente (PI) uses piezoceramic ultrasonic linear motors in many of its PILine positioning systems. This gives the stages not only a much lower profile but also makes them faster than comparable systems with motor/spindle drives.

PI manufactures low-profile XY stages with a profile height of less than 30 mm across the whole surface of the stage - there are no lead screw ducts, no flanged motors. A speed of 100 mm/s can be achieved at a resolution of up to 0.1 µm.