Patent ID: 7390650

Claim:
A microfluidic chip having a length, width and height, wherein said height is the smallest dimension, said microfluidic chip comprising: a) a cell chamber having at least one nonplanar element for establishing and/or maintaining electrical communication with a cell, wherein said nonplanar element has a surface defining an opening for separating a cell from an electrode compartment and is an integral part of the microfluidic chip, and wherein the surface defining the opening comprises portions of a wall of said cell chamber; b) a first channel lateral to and in communication with said cell chamber, and oriented so as to provide a fluid flow with respect to the non-planar element so as to exert a positive fluidic pressure on a cell attached to the surface defining the opening of the non-planar element; and c) a second channel lateral to said cell chamber and in communication with the surface defining the opening on the wall of the cell chamber so as to produce a negative pressure on a cell drawing it into contact with the surface defining the opening, wherein said cell chamber, said first channel and said second channel each comprise two walls and a base wherein the walls are parallel to the height of said microfluidic chip and the base is perpendicular to the height of said microfluidic chip, and whereby a high electrical resistance seal is established and/or maintained between a cell and the surface defining the opening by the combination of the positive pressure of the fluid flow from the first channel and the negative pressure from the second channel.