Patent · US Expired

High-throughput electrophysiological measurement apparatus

US6488829B1 · kind B1 · utility

34Cited by
6References
45Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 4, 2000
Grant dateDec 3, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 19, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N33/48728
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Standard electrophysiology via the patch clamp technique is a well-developed and powerful tool in both academic and industrial research in the study of ion channels and transporters. Although widely accepted as the gold standard for these types of measurements, the patch clamp technique is considered labor intensive and relatively slow, limited to measuring only one biological sample at a time. This invention describes and demonstrates a device whereby electrophysiological measurements can be made on cells or cell membranes in a manner which allows for multiple measurements to be made in parallel, without direct human intervention, thereby enhancing the cost effectiveness, throughput and general applicability of the technique in fields such as pharmaceutical drug screening.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.