Cell-culture plate with sub-micron aperture array for near-field fluorescent measurement

We have developed a cell-culture plate with a sub-micron aperture array on the surface. This plate is designed for fluorescent measurement of the cell with high spatial resolution. By reducing the aperture size to 200 nm in diameter, we localized the excitation area. At first, we cultivated nerve cells extracted from silkworm moth (Bombyx mori.) on this plate, and confirmed the validity of this plate as a cell-culture environment. The fluorescent light through an aperture was measured. Ca²⁺ concentrations in 0.100-39 μM range was measured by recording fluorescent light with a 300 nm aperture. This cell-culture plate enables the measurement of cellular information in the microscopic region.