The Optopatch patch supplier of clamp amplifier from Cairn Research is a high gain high electrode amplifier, designed for measuring small currents over a wide bandwidth (Up to 200 KHz). The Optopatch has been constructed around our patented optical headstage and incorporates a number of unique features in order to optimise its performance across a wide range of applications. These include:
- Single channel voltage clamp recording.
- Membrane capacitance measurement.
- Whole cell voltage or current clamp recording.

The Optopatch was designed to perform tasks that other patch clamp professional amplifiers cannot, and a major feature is the inclusion of a lock-in amplifier for measurement of cell membrane capacitance and resistance, with linear calibrated resistance and capacitance outputs. This built in device has a unique "track-in" mode that keeps the lock-in amplifier in perfect balance, maintaining discrimination between resistance and capacitance, and is the subject of a recent publication in Pflügers Arch. Integrated into this circuitry is protection against overcompensation of series resistance and electrode capacitance, safeguarding your cells during a recording. Another feature unique to the Optopatch is the inclusion of true current clamping circuitry. This was incorporated into the headstage design to allow true voltage records to be obtained when using the amplifier in current clamp mode.