Commercial amplifiers for intracellular electrophysiological recordings measure and control transmembrane voltages and currents, determining a cell’s response to electrochemical stimuli (CC) or the concentration and composition of ion channels in the cell membrane. However, benchtop amplifiers have limited bandwidth, scalability, power efficiency, and performance, while integrated circuit amplifiers are sensitive to manufacturing technique, which can cause recorded data distortions.
This technology is a miniaturized CMOS multi-clamp amplifier for recording CC and VC intracellular signals. The integrated circuit is capable of switching between voltage and current readings for accurate recordings with high signal-to-noise ratios. Using negative feedback and compensatory mechanisms, this technology can measure signals with large resistances. Compared to currently available technologies, this amplifier enables accurate electrophysiology recordings on a very small chip, consumes less power, and provides an improved method for measuring intracellular activity.
This technology has been validated in primary neuronal cultures and in acute brain slices, using both high-impedance sharp and patch electrodes.
IR CU19222
Licensing Contact: Greg Maskel