DAQ based Impedance Measurement System for Low Cost and Portable Electrical Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing

Abstract

Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS), a technique for label-free and real-time detection of cells, is emerging as an alternative or assistive method to traditional biochemical assays for diagnostic and pharmaceutical applications. In this work, we developed a DAQ based impedance measurement system for low cost and portable ECIS applications. The alternating input signal for ECIS was generated from the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) channel of the DAQ board and applied through the current limited resistor to the cells on the electrode. The responding signal was recorded by the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) channel of the DAQ board, and its amplitude and phase were analyzed by software lock-in amplifier. The feasibility of the developed ECIS system was evaluated by impedance measurement and DAPI analysis of C2C12 cell growth on the indium tin oxide microelectrode, and by impedimetric and MTT cell viability assay of HEK293 cells exposed to H2O2.