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Simultaneous Electrical and Mechanical Stimulation to Enhance Cells' Cardiomyogenic Potential
Published on: January 18, 2019
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The MyoPulser field stimulator, a do it yourself programmable electronic pacemaker for contracting cells and tissues
Christiane Ott1,2, Tobias Jung3,4
1Department of Molecular Toxicology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke (DIfE), Arthur-Scheunert-Allee 114-116, 14558, Nuthetal, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|February 11, 2023
Summary
We developed the MyoPulser, a cost-effective electronic pacemaker for cell contraction studies. This device precisely controls electrical stimulation, enabling detailed analysis of cardiomyophysiology.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cardiovascular Research
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate control of cellular contraction is crucial for studying cardiomyophysiology.
- Existing methods for electrical stimulation can be expensive or lack customizability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the MyoPulser, an "Arduino"-based electronic pacemaker for precise electrical stimulation of cells, tissues, and organs.
- To detail the construction, functionality, and application of the MyoPulser.
- To evaluate the biological effects of electrical pacing on isolated cardiomyocytes and HT22-cells.
Main Methods:
- Development of a programmable, customizable, and cost-effective electronic pacemaker (MyoPulser) using an "Arduino" platform.
- Testing the MyoPulser on isolated B6 cardiomyocytes and HT22-cells.
- Utilizing carbon electrodes for electrical stimulation and recording detailed pulse data.
- Integration with the MYOCYTER software for comprehensive data analysis.
Main Results:
- The MyoPulser offers versatile pulse control, including monophasic, alternating, bi-, and polyphasic pulses with adjustable parameters (pulse length, gap, irregular pulses).
- Electrostimulation of cardiomyocytes showed minimal deviation between applied pulse settings and observed cellular contraction.
- Carbon electrodes demonstrated biological inertness during long-term experiments.
Conclusions:
- The MyoPulser provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for precise electrical stimulation in cardiomyophysiology research.
- Its open-source nature and expandable design allow adaptation to specific research needs.
- Combined with MYOCYTER software, it forms a complete cardiomyophysiological measuring station.
