General Info

In 1970, Normand C. Hebert, Ph.D. established Microelectrodes Inc, a small family run company which has enjoyed a long history of research, development and the manufacturing of microelectrodes. Dr. Hebert's first experience with glass-working and micro-chemistry was to design and construct a high vacuum system with Professor H. C. Brown at Purdue University. This system was used to explore the chemistry of organo-boranes produced by hydroboration. Reactions were carried out with less than one millimolar amount of organo-borane, from which the products were measured and identified. This resulted in several new reactions which led to his interest in working with glass and micro-chemistry. Upon graduation, he was employed by Corning Glass Works and initiated a research program on glass composition and intracellular electrodes. Dr. Hebert founded Microelectrodes, Inc in September of 1970 with the help of his father Placide Hebert, a master tool and die expert, and his uncle Tony Campbell, a jack of all trades. He rented a large room at the former head-quarters of Grenier Air Force Field in Londonderry, NH to set up the company. His uncle built the booth used at their first FASE conventions in Chicago and in Atlantic City. It was constructed for travel to fit in his station wagon. They exhibited intracellular microelectrodes as well as microelectrodes capable of measuring pH in droplets of liquid. Production started by making both types of electrodes, as well as other special designs. His first special design was a pH electrode made for Dr. Land at Polaroid to monitor the pH of photographic film during the development process. This was followed by working with his son Marc in the development of a tiny glass pH probe, with a transmitter that fit inside a molar tooth, for General Mills to test food products. Since then the master craftsmen, each with more than 25 years of experience at Microelectrodes, have designed and fabricated a complete line of electrodes and over a thousand electrodes for special applications. Dr. Hebert continues to be actively involved in Microelectrodes with his son Marc, vice president of operations.