3D-printed gear for systems neuroscience
We created 3Dneuro, a spin-off company of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, to answer the
need for reliable, care-free and affordable tools
for electrophysiology.
The 3Dneuro approach
MADE BY SCIENTISTS FOR SCIENTISTS
We are our own first customers. When we grew unhappy with the unpredictability of handmade microdrives, and failed to find commercial solutions that made a real difference to our experiments, we set out to make our own. We founded 3Dneuro to make our solutions available to all.
USER FRIENDLY
Our designs combine precision and user friendliness. By protecting your probes at all times, and by making probe recovery easy, the number of things that can go wrong with your implants is significantly reduced.
LAB TESTED
Our microdrive design was tested and improved until achieving optimal performance in actual experiments at the Donders Institute. Our tested applications so far comprise: Single-drive implant with probe recovery in behaving mice, and triple-drive implant with probe recovery in behaving rats.
COST CUTTING
Our microdrives and accessories are competitively priced. Even better, by protecting your probes for re-use, they can actually save you money.
FLEXIBLE DESIGN
Our 3D-printed tools are designed with a small footprint, making our microdrive usable in many different configurations. We know that every experimental setup is different, so please get in touch with us if you would like to discuss custom designs!
Products
The 3Drive is our microdrive for silicon probes, compatible with all major commercial brands. We also offer a set of customized holders for the safe assembly and implantation of your probes. Additional accessories are currently under development. Please contact us if you need a custom design.
3Drive holder set
We designed a set of holders to safely handle the 3Drive and probe: An assembly holder to hold your microdrive during probe assembly, and an implantation holder that connects to the stereotaxic apparatus for the implant surgery.
3Drive crown
This protective frame, implanted around your drive, provides an in-built holder for an Omnetics connector, as well as a light support structure for a full Faraday cage. The design also features two contact points that enable stable head fixation for behaving mice.
Starter kit
The ideal kit to establish and test your procedure. Contains two 3Drives, one set of holders, a detailed surgical protocol for implantation and personal advice for your specific application.
Screwdriver for microdrive
[Prototype] Designed to safely and conveniently move your probe after implantation.
Consulting services
We provide personal support by email, phone or videoconference for all our products. In cases where substantial assistance is needed, we also arrange in-person consulting packages.
Want more information?
Our team
We are a team of neuroscientists with multiple years of experience in in vivo rodent electrophysiology. After experiencing the hurdles ourselves, we developed 3D-printed tools to streamline electrode implants and recordings for our own use. We then decided to create 3Dneuro to help others do their research quicker, easier and more reliably.
Tim
Co-founder
Tim acquired expertise in 3D-printed design so that he could develop tools for electrophysiological recordings within the Neuroseeker EU-FP7 project. Some of his previous work can be found here. He recently started working as a life sciences consultant.
Martha
Consultant
Martha has worked with electrophysiology and silicon probes since 2003, in cat and most recently in behaving mice. She handles inquiries about surgical procedures and animal handling.
News
The latest news about our company, and systems neuroscience in general.
The rise of 3D printing in neuroscience research
In recent years, 3D printing technology has been getting better and cheaper, bringing performance usually accessible only to large industrial companies into the consumer market. New materials are constantly developed,[…]
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Donders Startup Voucher
Since 2016, the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour awards 5000€ to scientists that want to take an idea from the lab to create bigger impact for society. In[…]
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3Dneuro is online!
Today, we are finally online and presenting 3Dneuro to the neuroscience community. A bit more than two years ago, Abdel, Martha, and Tim chatted for the first time about the[…]
Read moreContact us
Ask us for more information, get a quote or order your drives today!