Electrical Properties of Biological Tissues - An Impedance Spectroscopy Study

The purpose of this study is to investigate the frequency dependency (dielectric dispersion) of the electrical properties of biological tissues. For this purpose, the lung and mesenteric vessels of male Sprague Dawley rats and the lung of female balb/c mice were investigated. A Solartron 1290 impedance analyzer with 1296 dielectric interface was used. The impedance values were higher at low frequencies compared to those at high frequencies. The resistance and reactance values and hence the Cole-Cole plots are slightly different for the various tissues indicating the difference in their cell structures and the morphology. This study is of practical interest for biological applications of electrical pulses, such as electroporation, whose efficacy depends on cell type.