Apparatus and method for assaying electrophysiological effects
OwnerRobert J. Laufinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A culture vessel for biological samples contains a plurality of individually addressable electrodes and a means of maintaining these electrodes at various potentials, whereby cells may be cultured in a wide variety of electric fields to rapidly assess the influence of field strength, frequency, or waveform on cell growth or inhibition, platelet adhesion, gene expression, or other responses of interest while maintaining an otherwise uniform culture environment for the cells. The electrode array may be formed on a rigid, reusable substrate or it may be disposable.
Claims62
An apparatus for screening biological samples for their response to electric fields, comprising:
- a container suitable for containing a living biological sample and any associated fluids;
- a substrate disposed within the container;
- a plurality of independently-addressable electrodes disposed upon the substrate;
- and
- a means of applying differing electrical potentials to the plurality of independently-addressable electrodes for a period of time, wherein different regions of the living biological sample can be cultured in the presence of different selected electric fields and the effects of those different electric fields on a biological function of the living biological sample may be determined.
An apparatus for rapidly screening biological samples for their response to electric fields, comprising:
- a container suitable for containing a living biological sample and associated fluids;
- a substrate disposed within the container, the substrate including a plurality of independently-addressable electrodes;
- and
- a means of applying differing electrical potentials to the plurality of independently-addressable electrodes for a period of time, wherein different regions of the living biological sample can be cultured in the presence of different electric fields while maintaining other environmental parameters substantially constant and the effects of those different electric fields on at least one biological function of the living biological sample may be determined.
A method for determining an optimal electric field for enhancing a biological function comprising:
- placing a living biological sample and optional associated fluids into a container, the container including a substrate having thereon a plurality of independently-addressable electrodes;
- applying independently-definable electrical potentials to the plurality of independently-addressable electrodes over a period of time, wherein areas of the living biological sample are exposed to electric fields while being exposed to otherwise substantially similar environmental conditions;
- and
- examining the living biological sample to assess effects of those electric fields on a biological function of the living biological sample, wherein the optimal electric field may be systematically determined.
A method for determining an optimal electric field for enhancing a selected biological process comprising:
- placing a living biological sample and optional associated fluids into a container, the container including an electrically insulating structure having thereon a plurality of independently-addressable electrodes;
- applying independently-definable electrical potentials to the plurality of independently-addressable electrodes over a period of time;
- and
- examining the living biological sample to assess effects of those electric fields on a biological function of the living biological sample, wherein the optimal electric field may be rapidly determined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.