Thomas Recording

Blackrock distributes electrode drives manufactured by Thomas RECORDING GmbH (TREC) in Giessen, Germany. TREC has over 20 years of experience building precisely-engineered drives. These drives are recognized worldwide by neuroscience research for their superior quality and reliability.

Eckhorn Drive

The Eckhorn drive is a multichannel positioner designed for precise insertion of individual microelectrodes through the intact dura in chronic cat and monkey preparations. This electrode manipulator supports a wide range of thin-shafted fiber- and wire-electrodes with shaft diameters down to 25 µm. The patented driving principle behind the Eckhorn manipulator ensures higher-resolution and superior positing accuracy compared with traditional drives such as those equipped with hydraulic- or cable-control mechanism. The Eckhorn mounts to a stereotaxic instrument and is available in 1-, 3-, 7- or 16-channel versions each with per-channel, low-noise preamplifiers.

Mini Matrix Drive

The Mini Matrix is a multichannel positioner designed for precise insertion of individual microelectrodes through the intact dura in chronic cat and monkey preparations. Its driving mechanism is identical to that used in the Eckhorn drive, but the Mini Matrix is much smaller and lighter allowing it to be directly mounted onto the subject’s head. The single-electrode Mini Matrix is available in 2-, 3- and 5-channel versions. The tetrode Mini Matrix is available in 8-, 12- and 20-channel versions. Both the single-electrode and tetrode version are equipped with per-channel, low-noise preamplifiers.

Micro Matrix Drive

The Micro Matrix is the world’s smallest and lightest single-electrode drive with an integrated low-noise preamplifier. The miniature positioner drives one quartz-platinum/tungsten electrode in steps of 1µm with travel distance up to 5 mm (longer travel distance available upon request). Its unique and patented rubber-tube driving mechanism ensures extremely-accurate microelectrode positioning.