Nanoprobe platform for electrophysiological monitoring of biological cells and innovative manufacturing method
Every living organism is the seat of electrical phenomena intimately connected with vital activities. The detection of these bioelectrical phenomena by sensors (measurement of currents and their variations over time) is a major challenge in health. The demonstration of the variation of these signals makes it possible to study a pathological versus healthy state of the organ studied, or even of the cell studied.
Today, there are two complementary reference methods for measuring electrical activity: extracellular action potentials, using microelectrode arrays (MEAs), and intracellular electrical activities using patch-clamps. But they do not yet provide all the expected answers.
Competitive advantages
- Adaptable to a large scale and low cost
- Wide variety of integration possibilities (Si (opaque) or quartz (transparent) substrate, integration over HDCMOS, flexible substrate integration
- Possibility of multiple design of nanostructures and nanostructure networks (unrestricted probe heights, more homogeneous and lower access lines)
- Compatible with available measurement platforms (MCS, MED64, etc.)
- Very wide fields of application (neural networks, slices, organoids, cardio, etc.)
Applications
- Measurement of electrical activity of cells
Intellectual property
- Patent
Development stage
Technology validated in relevant environment
Laboratory
Description
Miniaturized electrophysiology platform offering a wide range of substrates and based on an electrical potential measurement.
Platform for:
- Fabrication of nanoprobes of uniform thicknesses
- Opening up to a wider category of substrates
- Fabrication of nanoprobes of varying sizes
- Increasing the throughput of nanoprobe fabrication per wafer
- To propose intra- and inter-cellular measurements of electrical activity
- To be able to propose, through the configuration of nanoprobes or nanowires, environments that adapt to cellular environments
The proposed way of valorization is the creation of a company.
Technical specifications
Design of chip adaptable to the users’ needs, on various substrate types (silicon, quartz, CMOS…) and with multiple configurations (1 to 7 nanoprobes)
Direct structuration over a bulk substrate allowing to ensure the consistency of the thickness and the electrical characteristics