Patent ID: 9447447
Filing Date: 2016-09-20
CPC Classification: C12M,C12Q,G01N

Claim Text:
1. A cardiotoxicity testing apparatus, comprising: a transparent substrate; an area surrounded by a wall formed on the transparent substrate, wherein the area is filled with a liquid cell culture medium; a cell population comprising a plurality of stably pulsating cardiomyocytes which are disposed in the area that is filled with the cell culture medium; a microelectrode provided in the area that is filled with the cell culture medium, wherein a cardiomyocyte of the cell population or a local portion of the cell population is placed on the microelectrode; a reference electrode provided in the area that is filled with the cell culture medium; an electrical potential measuring means for measuring the electrical potential of the cardiomyocyte placed on the microelectrode, comprising lead wires which are connected respectively to each of the microelectrode and a lead wire which is connected to the reference electrode; a recording means for recording data of the electrical potential of the cardiomyocytes before and after addition of a test agent measured by the electrical potential measuring means; and a control means for controlling the measuring means and the recording means to calculate the magnitude of variation in an elapsed time between a peak position of sodium-ion inflow into the cell and a peak position of potassium-ion outflow from the cell in a field potential waveform of the pulsation of cardiomyocytes (field potential duration) (FPD) by comparison of temporally adjacent pulsation signals, wherein the magnitude of the variation of the FPD is the short-term variability (STV) or the long-term variability (LTV) of the FPD.