Molecular Devices Announces the Release of IonWorks Barracuda Software Version 2.0

Sunnyvale, CA - November 18, 2011 - Today, Molecular Devices, LLC, announced the release of IonWorks® Barracuda Software v2.0 for the IonWorks® Barracuda Automated Electrophysiology System. Featured enhancements include multiple protocol mode, the ability to review data on the fly in assay development mode, dual voltage offset correction, and enhancements to raw data display and scaling. The software can also collect over 600,000 data points per sweep and perform up to 200 sweeps. The new software runs on a Windows 7 64-bit operating system in order to handle the large amounts of data that may be collected.

"These software enhancements maintain the IonWorks Barracuda System as best in class for automated electrophysiology systems on the market," said Mark Verheyden, President of Molecular Devices, LLC. "With its ability to deliver the highest data throughput for automated electrophysiology assays at the lowest cost per data point, the enhancements to the software ensure that the system will remain ahead of the pack."

Multiple protocol mode is a new functionality that enables the running of multiple channel protocols consecutively. This allows users to chain together protocols with different sampling frequencies, voltage profiles, or compound addition parameters. These can then be run automatically in a single experiment.

The ability to review data on the fly greatly enhances assay development mode. Users can modify voltage protocols and compound addition parameters during the course of an experiment midstream.

The ability to generate 600,000 data points per sweep and up to 200 sweeps is an essential feature for delivering very long voltage pulse trains to study the use-dependence of ion channel drug candidates.