Method of and device for measuring elastic and di-electric properties of the diaphragm of living cells

Claim 1

A method of ascertaining elastic and di-electric properties of the diaphragm of individual living cells of living beings and of the diaphragms of living cells of living beings which living cells are in suspension in a physiological liquid or in an association as a layer of living cells of living beings, which includes the steps of: introducing any member of the group consisting of an individual cell, a plurality of individual cells, a number of individual cells, a layer of cells, and a plurality of layers of cells, into a physiological liquid which has a temperature within the range of from 0° to 40° C and which is electrically conductive and forms an electrolyte solution, locating said member between two electrodes in such a manner that the flow lines of an electric field provided between said two electrodes penetrates the diaphragm of said member introduced into said physiological liquid forming said electrolyte solution, applying to said electrodes a sequence of voltage pulses with a constant pulse duration of from 1 μs to 10 ms, increasing the amplitude of said voltage pulses between 100 mV and 5 V until at the obtainment of the break-down voltage the resulting measurable current pulses greatly increase, and measuring the break-down voltage on two measuring electrodes arranged currentless on both sides of said member provided between said electrodes.

Claim 2

A method of ascertaining elastic and di-electric properties of the diaphragm of individual living cells of living beings and of the diaphragms of living cells of living beings which living cells are in suspension in a physiological liquid or in an association as a layer of living cells of living beings, which includes the steps of: introducing any member of the group consisting of an individual cell, a plurality of individual cells, a number of individual cells, a layer of cells, and a plurality of layers of cells, into a physiological liquid which has a temperature within the range of from 0° to 40° C and which is electrically conductive and forms an electrolyte solution, locating said member between two electrodes in such a manner that the flow lines of an electric field provided between said two electrodes penetrates the diaphragm of said member introduced into said physiological liquid forming said electrolyte solution, applying to said electrodes a sequence of voltage pulses with a constant pulse duration of from 1 μs to 10 ms, increasing the amplitude of said voltage pulses between 100 mV and 5 V until at the obtainment of the break-down voltage the resulting measurable current pulses greatly increase, and measuring the break-down voltage on two measuring electrodes arranged currentless on both sides of said member provided between said electrodes.

Claim 5

A device for ascertaining elastic and di-electric properties of the diaphragm of individual living cells of living beings and of the diaphragms of living cells of living beings with the living cells in suspension in a physiological liquid or in an association as a layer of living cells of living beings, which includes: container means of electrically non-conductive material, partition means arranged in said container means and dividing same into two chambers, two electrodes respectively arranged in said chambers for emitting and receiving voltage and current pulses, two measuring electrodes respectively arranged in said chambers for measuring the break-down voltage, said container means being provided with inlet means for supplying physiological electrolyte solution and for the introductin of a cell, and cells and a layer of cells into one of said chambers, said partition means being provided with passage means therethrough corresponding in number to the number of cells to be introduced into said one chamber and having a diameter not exceeding the diameter of the cells in said one of said two chambers, first means electrically connected to said two electrodes for generating voltage pulses of variable amplitude up to about 5 V and of variable pulse duration of from about 1 μs and 10 ms, second means electrically connected to said two electrodes for emitting voltage and current pulses for measuring the amplitude of the current pulses occurring in view of the voltage pulses applied to said electrodes, and third means electrically connected to said measuring electrodes for amplifying and measuring voltages.

Claim 6

A device for ascertaining elastic and di-electric properties of the diaphragm of individual living cells of living beings and of the diaphragms of living cells of living beings with the living cells in suspension in a physiological liquid or in an association as a layer of living cells of living beings, which includes: container means of electrically non-conductive material, partition means arranged in said container means and dividing same into two chambers, two electrodes respectively arranged in said chambers for emitting and receiving voltage and current pulses, two measuring electrodes respectively arranged in said chambers for measuring the break-down voltage, said container means being provided with inlet means for supplying physiological electrolyte solution and for the introductin of a cell, and cells and a layer of cells into one of said chambers, said partition means being provided with passage means therethrough corresponding in number to the number of cells to be introduced into said one chamber and having a diameter not exceeding the diameter of the cells in said one of said two chambers, first means electrically connected to said two electrodes for generating voltage pulses of variable amplitude up to about 5 V and of variable pulse duration of from about 1 μs and 10 ms, second means electrically connected to said two electrodes for emitting voltage and current pulses for measuring the amplitude of the current pulses occurring in view of the voltage pulses applied to said electrodes, and third means electrically connected to said measuring electrodes for amplifying and measuring voltages.