A microscope stage temperature controller for the study of whole-cell or single-channel currents

The construction of a microscope stage temperature controller is described that works equally well with upright or inverted microscopes. The control circuit directly regulates the bath temperature near the physiological preparation from 0.0 degree C to 40.0 degrees C with a stability of +/- 0.1 degrees C; it allows biophysical studies of whole-cell or single channel currents to be carried out at different temperatures without introducing additional electrical noise into the measurements. The device may also be of interest to neurobiologists who work with tissue-culture preparations.