1 research outputs found
Laser-assisted Cellular Electrophysiology Measurement System
Patch-clamp technique is the gold standard for cellular electrophysiological
measurements, which is capable of measuring single ion transport events across
the cell membrane. However, the measurement possesses significant complexity,
and it requires a high level of expertise, while its experimental throughput is
nevertheless considerably low. Here, we suggest and experimentally demonstrate
a laser-assisted method for performing cellular electrophysiological
measurements. Femtosecond laser pulses, coupled to an optical microscope, are
used to form a sub-micrometer hole on a thin polymer membrane separating two
electrodes, where a nearby cell is subsequently placed onto the hole by
negative pressure. Afterwards, the cell is punctured using subsequent laser
exposure, revealing the cell membrane over the hole for electrophysiological
recording. This system could be used to increase the output amount of the
electrophysiological measurements substantially.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure