Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy for Microtissue Spheroid Analysis in Hanging-Drop Networks

Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) as a label free and noninvasive analysis method receives growing attention for monitoring three-dimensional tissue constructs. In this Article, we present the integration of an EIS readout function into the hanging-drop network platform, which has been designed for culturing microtissue spheroids in perfused multitissue configurations. Two pairs of microelectrodes have been implemented directly in the support of the hanging drops by using a small glass inlay inserted in the microfluidic structure. The pair of bigger electrodes is sensitive to the drop size and allows for drop size control over time. The pair of smaller electrodes is capable of monitoring, on the one hand, the size of microtissue spheroids to follow, for example, the growth of cancer microtissues, and, on the other hand, the beating of cardiac microtissues in situ. The presented results demonstrate the feasibility of an EIS readout within the framework of multifunctional hanging-drop networks.