Technologies

Surgery for placing probes in a model organism can be is difficult given the space constraints and size of the instrumentation. To help assist in the efficient and clean placement of probes, engineers at Janelia have designed a “microgripper” to specifically assist in stereotaxic surgical placement of probes.

This device is a stereotaxic placement adapter to hold small cylindrical components (such as optogenetics fibers) allowing their accurate surgical placement and, by its narrow leading edge allowing the accurate placement of multiple similar probes in the same surgery. This device consists of two stainless-steel gripper jaw halves that are spring-loaded. The device can be opened with one hand, allowing a free hand to place the components within the gripper jaws.

Construction:

• A machine shop can produce with readily available components
• Within the capability of a skilled machinist to make