Patent ID: 7408359

Claim:
A current measuring device, which is capable of measuring a current flowing via an artificial lipid bilayer membrane, comprising: an upper solution chamber which is capable of containing aqueous solution; and a lower solution chamber disposed below the upper solution chamber, a bottom of the upper solution chamber having a membrane formation opening, a bottom of the lower solution chamber having a support layer for supporting the artificial lipid bilayer membrane, wherein the artificial lipid bilayer membrane formed on the membrane formation opening of the upper solution chamber is brought into contact support layer so as to be supported, said current measuring device further including a bottom plate on which the support layer is placed; an interval keeping member for keeping a predetermined interval between the upper solution chamber and the bottom plate, and a negative pressure generation means for dropping an internal pressure of the lower solution chamber, wherein the lower solution chamber is provided below the upper solution chamber and surrounded by the bottom plate and the interval keeping member, and the negative pressure generation means causes the artificial lipid bilayer membrane formed on the membrane formation opening of the upper solution chamber to swell to a side of the lower solution chamber so as to cause the artificial lipid bilayer membrane to be thinner and to come into contact with the support layer so that the artificial lipid bilayer membrane is supported on the support layer.