Compact Air Table — Electrophysiology & Microinjection Workstation

AT-3036 Air Table

The AT-3036 vibration isolation air table from TMC, offered by Sutter Instrument, is the standard foundation for patch-clamp electrophysiology and microinjection workstations. Active air suspension continuously levels the table and isolates the work surface from vertical and horizontal vibration, removing mechanical noise at its source rather than filtering it out of the recorded signal afterwards.

Magnetic Breadboard Tabletop

Each table ships with a stainless steel, magnetic breadboard top available with M6 on 25 mm centers tapped holes, so existing rig hardware mounts directly to the surface.

Perimeter Enclosure and Sliding Shelf

A perimeter enclosure runs around the tabletop edge to prevent it from being pushed accidentally, while a sliding side shelf positioned just above the work surface keeps micromanipulator controllers, amplifiers and other control devices within easy reach.

Optional Faraday Cage

For low-noise electrophysiology recordings, the AT-3036 is available with an integrated Faraday cage and a wire-mesh roll-up door, reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI) around the preparation. The cage offers three 5 cm cable pass-through openings and an interior height of 102 cm; an optional overhead U-shaped rear shelf can be added to hold gravity perfusion components or other accessories.

Applications

• Patch-clamp electrophysiology — single-channel and whole-cell recordings are highly sensitive to mechanical vibration; even footsteps or HVAC noise can mask sub-picoamp currents. For most electrophysiology labs, the AT-3036 is the recommended starting point for a patch clamp rig.
• Cellular and sub-cellular microinjection — precise needle positioning at the micrometre scale requires a vibration-free platform. The AT-3036 supports both manual and motorised micromanipulator systems across the full working area.
• Photomicroscopy and videomicroscopy — any imaging technique sensitive to focus drift or motion blur benefits from active vibration isolation. The magnetic breadboard top allows fast repositioning of camera mounts and optical components between experiments.