PATCH CLAMP APPARATUS AND TECHNIQUE HAVING HIGH THROUGHPUT AND LOW FLUID VOLUME REQUIREMENTS

摘要

Apparatus for carrying out patch clamp technique utilized in studying the effect of certain materials on ion tranfer channels in biological tissue, and more particularly patch clamp apparatus utilizing an autosampler, such as those utilized with HPLC apparatus, to provide high throughput, is disclosed. The invention additionally includes novel microperfusion chamber assemblies capable of utilizing only small amounts of material to be tested and only small amounts of liquid carrier, thereby enabling many tests to be completed in a short period of time. The invention more broadly relates to a novel electrophysiology drug handling and application set up for screening of chemical substances while providing high throughput and requiring only low volume of solutions and samples to be tested. The invention also comprises several novel procedures for utilizing the apparatus of the invention.