Patent ID: 8852881

Claim:
An assay apparatus comprising: a first multiwell plate having a plurality of wells, each well having a top opening and a bottom panel; a second multiwell plate having a plurality of wells having top openings, wherein the plurality of wells are aligned with the plurality of wells of said first multiwell plate and are dimensioned such that the plurality of wells on said second multiwell plate fit into the top openings of the plurality of wells of said first multiwell plate to create a pair of adjacent multiwell plates forming dual-compartment wells; each of said dual-compartment wells comprising a cell layer membrane separating two compartments of each dual-compartment well; a pair of printed circuit boards sandwiching said pair of adjacent multiwell plates; a first set of electrodes extending into the plurality of wells of said first multiwell plate, wherein said first set of electrodes extend through said bottom panel of said plurality of wells of said first multiwell plate; a second set of electrodes extending into the plurality of wells of said second multiwell plate, wherein said second set of electrodes extend through said top openings of said plurality of wells of said second multiwell plate, wherein said first and second electrodes extend from each of said printed circuit boards and into at least some of said dual-compartment wells; and a multi-channel digitally programmable electronic control and sensing circuitry configured to substantially simultaneously apply signals to at least some of said electrodes and sense signals from at least some of said electrodes.