Supplies & Tools

Custom parts
See the section on custom parts for details and links to companies that can make custom parts.
Where provided, companies and links to websites indicate sources that we have used before. They do not neccessarily represent the best sources, especially outside the U.S.

16x Drive screws
(custom M0.6x7mm from Antrin Miniature Specialties, Inc.)

Drive body
(3D printed, ABS like plastic)

Steel spring
(1095 spring steel, 0.002”, machined with wire EDM)

Electrode interface board (EIB) (Neuralynx, or custom PCB)

Headpost (https://github.com/open-ephys/headposts_etc)

Shielding / Enclosure
see section on shielding for details

Overhead projector transparencies

Aluminum foil
(for making the shielding & Cap, templates available online)

Cap from optic fiber ferrule
(for attaching drive cap to drive - from Precision Fiber Products )

Steel wire for grounding
(Stainless Steel, PFA coating, ~0.003", A-M Systems)

Mill-Max pins for ground connection (Mill-Max 853 Interconnect Socket)

32x Gold pins (Neuralynx)

Connectors

2x Amplifier connectors (Omnetics or Molex) or any other custom connector, depending on the choice of EIB

Polyimide tubing
We usually buy from Smallparts. Smallparts, now part of amazon, discontinued the 37/38ga sizes that we use for the shuttle tubes.
We recently bought some from http://www.rivertechmed.com, at somewhat higher prices.

Shuttle tubes - 37 or 38 gauge

Guide tubes - 33 gauge

Stabilizer tubes- 26-28 gauge

Additional polyimide tubing for holding drive bottom assembly
(for example 22 and 21ga)
or stainless steel cannula depending on drive bottom layout

Optical fibers

Optical fiber, 125, 200 or 300μ core diameter (Thorlabs)

1.25mm OD multimode ferrule connector
(steel or ceramic, Precision Fiber Products)
of inner diameter matched to the desired optical fiber

Fiber polishing supplies

Alternatively: Ready to use fiber ferrule (for examples see Doric lenses,Plexon or Thorlabs)

Electrodes
Follow existing protocols for tetrode or stereotrode fabrication
(Nguyen et al. 2009)

Glue

Cyanoacrylate super glue (medium viscosity)

Epoxy (2 component, 5 minute epoxy example@Amazon)

Conductive epoxy for connecting ground wire to drive cone (for example from MG Chemicals @Amazon)

Tools

Ceramic tipped forceps (Dumont A275B, FST)

Serrated scissors (FST)

Dumont #5 Forceps (FST)

Measuring calipers

Alligator clip stand for holding drive during assembly

Custom screwdriver for M0.6 drive screws (see here for building instructions)

Razorblades

Fine sandpaper (~400 grit)

Small sharp scissors for cutting polyimide tubes

2 hemostats for holding the springs while soldering

Wire cutter for ground wires

Needle nose pliers for inserting gold pins

Soldering Iron (w/ solder, acid based flux, etc suitable for soldering stainless steel)

Drill bit (#77) and pin vise

Tapping tool made from drive screw soldered to a metal cannula to act as handle (See build protocol for details).

Keyless chuck (MCM Part #: 22-16500, Dremel Part #: 4486) to drill out holes of drive bodies (This part fits on a dremel rotary tool, and holds even the finest drill bits).

For holding the drive during electroplating&implantation: Implant holder