AVS 47th International Symposium
    MEMS Thursday Sessions
       Session MM+BI-ThM

Paper MM+BI-ThM5
Patch Clamping with Microfabricated Planar Electrodes

Thursday, October 5, 2000, 9:40 am, Room 309

Session: Bio-MEMS and Microfluidics
Presenter: K.G. Klemic, Yale University
Authors: K.G. Klemic, Yale University
J.F. Klemic, Yale University
M.A. Reed, Yale University
F.J. Sigworth, Yale University
Correspondent: Click to Email
The patch clamp technique is the most sensitive way to record the small ionic currents carried by ion channels and transporters in cell membranes. To make a typical recording, the ~1 micron tip of a glass or fused-quartz micropipette, filled with saline solution, is sealed over a patch of cell membrane, electrically isolating it with a very large electrical "seal resistance" of 10-100 G@ohm@. Here we describe the first use of new materials and a new configuration for patch-clamp electrodes. We have microfabricated planar electrodes that mimic the shape of the tip of the micropipette by aniostropic etching of single crystal quartz or by micromolding the silicone elastomer, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). The planar geometry has several advantages over the standard glass micropipette currently used for patch clamp recording. First, it permits direct integration of the first stage of amplification electronics into the electrode. Second one electrode can be easily scaled to an array of electrodes for simultaneous patch-clamp recordings from many cells, greatly expanding the discovery of new ion channel genes and new pharmacological agents directed to ion channel targets. Third, microfluidic channels can be integrated to permit fast solution exchange on both sides of the membrane, something that is not presently possible. Lastly, the electrode is designed to have a small solution volume that reduces the capacitance and thereby reduces by an order of magnitude the contribution of the electrode to the background noise. The design and fabrication of these novel patch electrodes as well as membrane current recordings using these devices will be presented.