Cell´s height variation approach with finite elements modelization

Today the patch clamp technique is well known and often used by biologists to study cell membrane exchanges. The authors set up in their laboratory a bench of experiments into cell volume variations measured using patch clamp equipment. They also present the first results on modeling a system used by biologists to evaluate, from a impedance measure, the variation of cell´s volume. These simulations are based on a finite elements calculation program, and aim to find the medium´s impedance (without cell) for several distances between the electrode and the bottom of a Petri´s Box (where the cells are cultivated). In order to achieve a complete automation of this manipulation, which is the objective of this work, the simulation allows one to underscore the parameters, not controlled by the biologists, that could modify the measures. The model gives proper results when the electrode is far from the bottom of the box. However, these results differ from the experimental values obtained when the electrode comes closer. For today´s needs this model is sufficient, but the authors infer that their basic modeling of the ionic currents by software is not refined enough to get more accurate results