Conventional patch pipettes are not suitable for the automation of patch clamp. Therefore we have developed the CytoPatch™ Chip, which consists of quartz glass (SiO2). Quartz glass has outstanding electrical characteristics:

• Low dielectric constant
• Low noise level
• Excellent insulating material.

Function

Two channels are embedded in the microstructured CytoPatch™ Chip: the CYTOCENTERING Channel, which is for suction and positioning of the cell, and the CytoPatch™ Channel, which is for patch clamp and recording. The separation is an advantage over a one channel solution. The CytoPatch™ Channel stays clean and allows a high rate of gigaseal formation. Furthermore, the chip is optimal for fast replacements, resulting in high throughput rates.
This CYTOCENTERING technique maps the conventional patch clamp procedure in an inverse configuration, applying the same hydro-dynamical and mechanical forces on the cell and the membrane as in the proven manual technique.

Manufacturing

The disposable CytoPatch™ Chip is manufactured by Cytocentrics BV in the cleanrooms of the Philips High Tech Campus, Innovation Center Eindhoven (The Netherlands). Our engineers have longstanding expertise in the development and production of microsystems technologies (www.cytocentrics.nl).