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A Computer-assisted Multi-electrode Patch-clamp System
Published on: October 18, 2013
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A hydrophilic polymer based microfluidic system with planar patch clamp electrode array for electrophysiological
Baojian Xu1, WeiWei Ye, Yu Zhang
1Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, PR China.
Biosensors & Bioelectronics
|October 22, 2013
Summary
This study introduces a new hydrophilic polymer microfluidic system for cell current recording, achieving a 44% gigaseal success rate without surface modification. This advanced patch clamp technology offers rapid solution exchange and stable recordings for pharmaceutical screening and biosensing.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Traditional patch clamp techniques face challenges with low success rates and slow solution exchange.
- Polymer-based microfluidic devices offer potential for improved cell recording but often require surface modifications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a novel microfluidic planar patch clamp system using a hydrophilic polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA).
- To evaluate the system's performance in terms of gigaseal formation, stability, and solution exchange capabilities compared to existing technologies.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a microfluidic planar patch clamp chip using UV-assisted molding of PEGDA.
- Whole-cell current recording and gigaseal formation assessment.
- Capillary flow kinetic experiments to compare flow rates with PDMS-glass channels.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 44% gigaseal success rate without surface modification, outperforming PDMS-based devices.
- Demonstrated rapid intracellular and extracellular solution exchange with stable gigaseals.
- PEGDA microfluidic channels exhibited flow rates two orders of magnitude higher than PDMS-glass channels.
Conclusions:
- The PEGDA-based hydrophilic microfluidic patch clamp system offers significant advantages, including ease of use, higher success rates, and efficient solution exchange.
- This technology shows promise for applications in pharmaceutical screening and biosensing.
