A CMOS integrated impedance-to-frequency converter for sensing cellular adhesion

[摘要] Sensing cellular adhesion via impedance measurements provides a versatile andeasily accessible means for monitoring in-vitro cell cultures. Previous worksused external electronics connected via cables to microelectrodes to achievethis goal, thus incurring parasitic impedance, electromagnetic interference,and bulky measurement setups. In this work we present a CMOSimpedance-to-frequency converter integrated with biocompatible planar surfaceelectrodes to make a compact and robust sensor chip for in-vitro cellmonitoring. The system features an 8×8 array of individuallyaddressable electrodes connected to four impedance-to-frequency convertercircuits with externally adjustable biasing and square wave output. Wepresent first measurement results obtained with the integrated electronicsthat demonstrate the successful operation of the system and show goodagreement with models of the electrode and cell impedances.

[学科分类] 电子、光学、磁材料