Interface patch clamping

• US 20060163062A1
• Filed: 07/28/2003
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Healthcare UK Limited (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Amersham Biosciences UK Ltd (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Conley, Edward C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/403.10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/48728 Investigating individual cells, e.g. by patch clamp, voltage clamp investigating individual particles in general G01N15/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 435/817 Enzyme or microbe electrode

Abstract

The present invention relate to methods and devices for holding a cell and positioning recording electrodes inside it.

Claims

1. A cell holding electrode arrangement comprising a hollow electrode sheath (3) open at a cell-contact tip (13) wherein said sheath (3) surrounds at least one elongated electrode needle (7) provided with a plurality of sensing electrodes (15a, 15b, . . . 15n), or said sheath (3) surrounds a plurality of elongated electrode needles (7a, 7b, . . . 7n) each provided with at least one sensing electrode (15a, 15b, . . . 15n).

2. The cell holding electrode arrangement of claim 1, wherein the said needle(s) (7, 7a, 7b, . . . 7n) does not/do not extend beyond the cell-contact tip (13) of said sheath (3).

3. The cell holding electrode arrangement of claim 1, wherein said needle or at least one of said needles is provided with a cell-removal preventing device (43).

4. The cell holding electrode arrangement of claim 1, wherein said needle or at least one of said needles is provided with a non-ion-conducting sealing compound (45).

5. The cell holding electrode arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sheath (3) is arranged inside a well (35).

6. The cell holding electrode arrangement of claim 1, wherein said sheath (3) is arranged on an automated manipulating device.

7. A method for positioning electrodes inside a cell comprising the steps of:

positioning a cell at the cell contact tip (13) of the cell holding electrode arrangement of claim 1;

and

applying a suction to said cell so that it is pulled onto the electrode needle(s).

8. A method for positioning electrodes inside a cell comprising the steps of:

positioning a cell at the cell contact tip (13) of the cell holding electrode arrangement of claim 1;

and

pushing said cell onto said electrode needle(s).