Multi-well plate and electrode assemblies for ion channel assays
AssigneeVertex Pharmaceuticals (San Diego) LLC
InventorsMichael P. Maher, Jesus E. Gonzalez, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Plate and electrode assemblies include configurations allowing for relatively uniform electric field production. The electrodes may comprise strips of conductive material plated onto the bottom surface of sample wells or they may comprise plate electrodes extending down into the well. In some embodiments, the electric field strength varies by less than about 10% from a mean field intensity over at least about 20% of the surface area of the bottom surface of a sample well.
Claims32
An assay plate and electrode assembly, comprising:
- at least one sample well having electrodes placed therein, wherein said electrodes are substantially parallel, non-overlapping strips positioned substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the well;
- and
- an electrical stimulation generator configured to modulate cells' transmembrane potentials without electropermeabilization of the cells' membranes by applying a potential difference to said electrodes to provide a non-rotating electric field adjacent to said bottom surface that varies by less than about 10% from a mean field intensity over at least about 20% of the surface area of said bottom surface.
An assay apparatus comprising:
- a sample well;
- a first pair of electrodes positioned within said sample well, wherein said first pair of electrodes are substantially planar, substantially parallel to each other, and substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the well;
- at least one additional electrode positioned within said sample well, wherein said at least one additional electrode is substantially planar and substantially parallel to said first pair of electrodes;
- and
- an electrical stimulation generator configured to apply a potential difference to the first pair of electrodes and the at least one additional electrode to provide a non-rotating electric field having a strength high enough to modulate cells' transmembrane potentials but not high enough to cause electropermeabilization of the cells' membranes.
An assay plate and electrode assembly, comprising:
- at least one sample well having electrodes placed therein, wherein said electrodes are substantially planar, substantially parallel to each other, substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the well, and spaced from the bottom surface of the well a distance of about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, and
- an electrical stimulation generator configured to modulate cells' transmembrane potentials without electropermeabilization of the cell membranes by applying a potential difference to the electrodes to provide an electric field adjacent to said bottom surface of the well that varies by less than 10% from a mean field intensity over at least 20% of the surface area of the bottom surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.