Multi-sized microelectrode array coupled with micro-electroporation for effective recording of intracellular action potential

Abstract Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are essential tools for studying the extracellular electrophysiology of cardiomyocytes in a multi-channel format. However, they typically lack the capability to record intracellular action potentials (APs). Recent studies have relied on costly fabrication of hig...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xingyuan Xu, Zhengjie Liu, Jing Liu, Chuanjie Yao, Xi Chen, Xinshuo Huang, Shuang Huang, Peng Shi, Mingqiang Li, Li Wang, Yu Tao, Hui-jiuan Chen, Xi Xie
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2025-05-01
Series:Microsystems & Nanoengineering
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-025-00887-6
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) are essential tools for studying the extracellular electrophysiology of cardiomyocytes in a multi-channel format. However, they typically lack the capability to record intracellular action potentials (APs). Recent studies have relied on costly fabrication of high-resolution microelectrodes combined with electroporation for intracellular recordings, but the impact of microelectrode size on micro-electroporation and the quality of intracellular signal acquisition has yet to be explored. Understanding these effects could facilitate the design of microelectrodes of various sizes to enable lower-cost manufacturing processes. In this study, we investigated the influence of microelectrode size on intracellular AP parameters and recording metrics post-micro-electroporation through simulations and experiments. We fabricated microelectrodes of different sizes using standard photolithography techniques to record cardiomyocyte APs from various culture environments with coupled micro-electroporation. Our findings indicate that larger microelectrodes generally recorded electrophysiological signals with higher amplitude and better signal-to-noise ratios, while smaller electrodes exhibited higher perforation efficiency, AP duration, and single-cell signal ratios. This work demonstrates that the micro-electroporation technique can be applied to larger microelectrodes for intracellular recordings, rather than being limited to high-resolution designs. This approach may provide new opportunities for fabricating microelectrodes using alternative low-cost manufacturing techniques for high-quality intracellular AP recordings.
ISSN:2055-7434