Development of a low-frequency cell stimulator for regeneration/apoptosis experiments

Abstract

Cellular stimulation by exposition to variable frequency electric fields constitutes a method for modifying cellular characteristics such as metabolism, orientation, migration and biological function. For this type of study and behavior, high-cost and complex commercial equipment is often used, which shows in general low bandwidth that limits the scope of the experiments. This work presents the design and implementation of a prototype for electric stimulation and impedance measurement of cell samples characterized by low-cost, portability, and easy reconfigurability of frequency and voltage, which makes it suitable for stimulation studies and research purposes. Also, it constitutes a preliminary study for systems with higher bandwidth, higher impedance range, and more input channels. The device is designed and implemented in order to carry out experiments of regeneration and apoptosis. It can generate electric signals up to 40 kHz at voltages in the range from 0 V to 100 mV, and it is capable of measuring impedance up to 1 M . Experiments of cellular stimulation and impedance measurement were carried out over yeast cultures, and the results are compared with the ones obtained by the Agilent 4284A LCR meter.