4645.2:
NANO patch-clamp device
Abstract
The patch clamp technique is a powerful method in electrophysiology, by which the electrical potential across cell membranes can be measured. The technique consists in the ‘capturing’ of a living cell by a patch pipette. Via a second electrode in contact with the physiological liquid reservoir, it is possible to measure the voltage difference across the cell membrane. This technique is widely used in pharmacology and drug testing to evaluate the cell voltage response to various externally applied toxines or biochemicals.
We propose a new microsystem approach towards this method. We will fabricate hollow ‘nanotips’ with inner diameters from 0.001-1 micrometer, integrate them with microfluidic channels for transport of physiological fluids and cells and with electrodes for electrical measurements. One merely needs to induce a cell flow over the nanotip array and it is no longer necessary to ‘capture manually’ the cell in the physiological fluid, enabling an ‘automated’-like patch-clamp measurement.
This project has the character of a feasibility study and will have two objectives
i) Realise a first generation demonstrator device
ii) Do initial biological testing of the devices in collaboration with industrial and academic researchers, active in electrophysiology.