Automated instrumentation for monitoring nerve action potentials in experimental biology applications

An automated instrumentation setup for multiple kinds of measurements in the field of experimental biology is presented in this work. The system is developed according to the requirements of the procedures followed in the research on compound action potentials of nerves in the field of neurophysiology. A data acquisition and control system based on a PC with an analogue/digital interface card is used for the generation of the appropriate stimulation signals and for the recording of the nerve response. A microcontroller based triggering module, interconnected with the PC, is also used for proper timing and triggering. The presentation includes a technical description of the hardware and software developed, and also illustrative results of the application.