Abstract: An ear inspection device configured for being at least partially introduced into an external ear canal for determining an ear condition, such as temperature, in particular at the subject's eardrum, wherein the device comprises an infrared sensor unit configured for detecting infrared radiation from the ear, and an electronic imaging unit configured for capturing images based on radiation in the visible range from the ear, wherein the electronic imaging unit exhibits at least one optical axis arranged such that it can be radially offset within the ear canal, and wherein the infrared sensor unit exhibits a visual axis arranged such that it can be positioned centrically within the ear canal or radially offset within the same semicircle, especially the same quadrant, of the cross section of the ear canal.

Abstract: A method of producing glass pipettes or glass capillaries for patch-clamp experiments and an apparatus for producing glass pipettes or glass capillaries.

Abstract: The invention shows a method for patch-clamp experiments on cells or similar structures, where at least one cell is inserted into the lumen of a capillary and is positioned inside the capillary so, that a sufficiently tight seal with a resistance exceeding 1, preferably 10 GigaOhm develops between cell membrane and inner surface of the capillary. Along its length said capillary has at least at one position a smaller inner diameter than the outer diameter of said cell. Preferably the cell is inserted and positioned in the capillary by pressure, suction, sedimentation or centrifugation of a suspension or solution containing said cell. An apparatus for performing experiments using this method is described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing glass pipettes or glass capillaries. In said method, a pipette or capillary (1) with a conical tip and a tubular section that adjoins the latter is fixed in a retaining device (2), the fixed glass pipene (1) is then introduced into the thermal radiation field of a heating unit (3), the glass pipette is softened at least in the tip region, a gas pressure is applied to the interior of the glass pipette in such a way that the diameter of said pipette is abruptly lengthened by a small amount between the base surface of the cone and the tubular section, the expanded glass pipette (1) is then removed from the thermal radiation field of the heating unit (3) and the abrupt lengthening of the diameter of the glass pipette (1) is verified and preferably controlled with the aid of an optical observation unit (4).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for controlling and measuring electrical parameters in a biological membrane (M) with a measuring circuitry, wherein capacitances and series resistances of the measuring circuitry are digitally compensated and wherein the digital compensation is performed by a computer (PC) connected to the measuring circuitry via AD/DA converters (ADC, DAC, DAC1, DAC2). In one embodiment the measuring circuitry is an I-V-converter (IVC) connected to a biological membrane (M). An output of the I-V-converter is connected via an AD-converter (ADC) to the computer (PC) for analyzing the I-output signal. The computer PC calculates a V-input signal being input via a DA-converter (DAC, DAC1) to the measuring circuitry.

Abstract: The invention shows a method for patch-clamp experiments on cells or similar structures, where at least one cell is inserted into the lumen of a capillary and is positioned inside the capillary so, that a sufficiently tight seal with a resistance exceeding 1, preferably 10 GigaOhm develops between cell membrane and inner surface of the capillary. Along its length said capillary has at least at one position a smaller inner diameter than the outer diameter of said cell. Preferably the cell is inserted and positioned in the capillary by pressure, suction, sedimentation or centrifugation of a suspension or solution containing said cell. An apparatus for performing experiments using this method is described.