Patent ID: 8026080

Claim:
A method of performing a cell-based assay that monitors cell-substrate impedance in response to one or more test compounds, comprising: (a) providing a cell-substrate impedance monitoring system, comprising: (i) at least one multiple-well cell-substrate impedance measuring device, wherein at least two of the multiple wells comprise an electrode array at the bottom of the well, wherein each electrode array comprises two electrode structures and each electrode structure comprises multiple electrode elements, further wherein each electrode array is individually addressed; (ii) an impedance analyzer; (iii) a device station comprising electronic circuitry capable of engaging said device and selecting and connecting electrode arrays within any of the multiple wells to the impedance analyzer; (iv) a software program capable of controlling the device station and performing data acquisition and data analysis from said impedance analyzer; (b) introducing cells into one or more wells of said system that comprise electrode arrays; (c) adding at least one test compound to said one or more wells; (d) monitoring cell-substrate impedance of said one or more wells before and after adding said at least one test compound; and (e) analyzing impedance values and calculating cell index values before and after adding said at least one test compound and providing information about cell responses to said at least one test compound.