Rapid fabrication of plastic-insulated carbon-fiber electrodes for micro-amperometry

Carbon-fiber amperometry and voltammetry are useful techniques to measure secretion of oxidizable neurotransmitters from neurosecretory cells. Recent applications with probes of small geometry permit detection of the exocytosis of single secretory vesicles in individual cells. We have developed a semi-automatic puller and cutter to prepare such plastic-insulated electrodes efficiently with various sizes of carbon fibers. The electrodes are smooth, reproducible, and easy to make.