Automatic electrophysiological measuring apparatus / method

Abstract

An automatic electrophysiological measuring apparatus to automatically penetrate a glass electrode(s) into the membrane of a Xenopus Oocyte to hold the membrane potential and to automatically measure reactions to the administration of a medicine is to be provided. A glass electrode 103 in the air is moved toward a Xenopus Oocyte 601 held in a cell. When the glass electrode 103 comes into contact with a solution surface 603 and the electrical continuity between the glass electrode 103 and the grounding electrode 604 is established, the potential of the glass electrode points to the vicinity of 0 mV. When the glass electrode 103 is moved and comes into contact with the membrane surface of the Xenopus Oocyte 601, the potential is about −5 mV. Further, as the glass electrode 102 is moved to penetrate the membrane, the potential is about −20 mV. These changes in the potential states of the glass electrodes are picked up by a control computer to distinguish the relative positions of the glass electrode 102 and the Xenopus Oocyte 601, and the sequence of electrophysiological measurement to penetrate the glass electrode 102 into the Xenopus Oocyte 601, hold the membrane potential and administer the medicine is automated. It is thereby made possible to measure a large number of samples at high speed.

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