VOLTAGE CLAMP

voltage clamp: translation

A technique in electrophysiology, in which a microelectrode is inserted into a cell, and current injected through the electrode so as to hold the cell\'s membrane potential at some predefined level. The technique can be used with separate electrodes for voltage-sensing and current-passing; for small cells, the same electrode can be used for both. Voltage clamp is a powerful technique for the study of ion channels. See patch clamp.