Commutators

A commutator is an electrical swivel that allows an animal to move freely by keeping the cables connected to the research equipment untangled. Research involving animals performing behavioral tests often requires that the animal moves unencumbered in its environment during the study. When optogenetic stimulation, in vivo neural stimulation and/or recording is/are also required, the environment becomes further complicated with tethered cables. Tangled cables, distractions, artifacts and ultimately, poor data and time delays may result if not properly managed.

To alleviate this problem, Plexon offers a range of robust, low-torque commutators that dependably keeps multiple types of cables untangled. Commutators have been engineered to optimize signal transfer with specific designs for use with analog headstages, digital headstages and/or optogenetics.