Patent ID: 8003372

Claim:
A device for performing cell assays, which device has at least one assay site, the site comprising a pair of stimulating electrodes, a cell confinement cavity for confining at least one cell in an extracellular fluid medium, and one or more sensor electrodes, the cell confinement cavity and the stimulating electrodes being arranged so that, in use, each cell is exposable to an electrical field generated by a potential difference applied across the stimulating electrodes, wherein the stimulating electrodes are spaced a distance apart such that the potential difference can induce field stimulation of each cell and simultaneously be below the level that would result in electrolysis of the extracellular fluid medium, and in which the electrical field includes a region of substantially uniform electrical field, each confined cell being exposable to the region, and in which the region of substantially uniform electrical field is bounded at one side by the floor of the cell confinement cavity.