A laser-assisted cellular electrophysiology measurement system
Date
Editor(s)
Advisor
Supervisor
Co-Advisor
Co-Supervisor
Instructor
Source Title
Print ISSN
Electronic ISSN
Publisher
Volume
Issue
Pages
Language
Type
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Series
Abstract
Patch-clamp technique is the gold standard for cellular electrophysiological measurements, which is capable of measuring single ion transport events across the cell membrane. However, the measurement possesses significant complexities, and it requires a high level of expertise, while its experimental throughput is nevertheless considerably low. Here, we suggest and experimentally demonstrate a laser-assisted method for performing cellular electrophysiological measurements. Femtosecond laser pulses, coupled to an optical microscope, are used to form a sub-micrometer hole on a thin polymer membrane separating two electrodes, where a nearby cell is subsequently placed onto the hole by negative pressure. Afterwards, the cell is punctured using subsequent laser exposure, revealing the cell membrane over the hole for electrophysiological recording. This system could be used to increase the output amount of the electrophysiological measurements substantially.