US 11,987,785 B2
Microelectrode techniques for electroporation
Gurkern Sufi, Sacramento, CA (US); and Arshia Firouzi, Folsom, CA (US)
Assigned to RAVATA SOLUTIONS, INC., Davis, CA (US)
Filed by Ravata Solutions, Inc., Davis, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/850,248.
Application 17/850,248 is a continuation of application No. 16/607,689, granted, now 11,371,004, previously published as PCT/US2018/029649, filed on Apr. 26, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/490,486, filed on Apr. 26, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0079005 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C12M 1/42 (2006.01); B01J 19/08 (2006.01); C12N 13/00 (2006.01)
CPC C12M 35/02 (2013.01) [B01J 19/08 (2013.01); C12N 13/00 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A viability sensing system comprising:
a microelectrode comprising:
a substrate with an electrically insulated surface;
a first electrode adjacent to the electrically insulated surface of the substrate, wherein the first electrode includes a first surface with an edge length that is less than or equal to a diameter of the cell or embryo, the first surface being substantially orthogonal to the electrically insulated surface of the substrate;
a second electrode adjacent to the electrically insulated surface of the substrate and separated from the first electrode a predetermined distance so as to form a channel between the first electrode, the second electrode, and the electrically insulated surface of the substrate, wherein the second electrode includes a second surface with an edge length that is less than or equal to a diameter of the cell or embryo, the second surface being substantially orthogonal to the electrically insulated surface of the substrate; and
a liquid medium situated within the channel, wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the electrically insulated surface of the substrate are configured so that the liquid medium is capable of fluidic transport of the cell or embryo through the channel between the first electrode, the second electrode, and the electrically insulated surface of the substrate and capable of supporting an electric field, wherein the second surface is substantially parallel to the first surface and the first electrode and the second electrode are configured to generate a uniform electric field with substantially parallel electric field lines between the first surface and the second surface; and
a first signal generator electrically coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein the first signal generator is configured to generate a signal between the first electrode and the second electrode that induces a uniform electric field with substantially parallel electric field lines between the first surface and the second surface, and wherein a sensing signal is received by either the first electrode or the second electrode, wherein the generated signal optionally is a sinusoid waveform or a nonsinusoidal waveform, optionally, an exponential waveform, a square waveform, a triangular waveform, or a saw-tooth waveform, optionally has a frequency between 1 Hz to 100 GHz or between 1 Hz to 1 kHz 100 GHz, and/or optionally has a duty cycle of 50%, and the induced electric field optionally ranges between 10 V/cm to 5 kV/cm or between 100 V/cm to 4 kV/cm.