MEMS for single-islet electroisletogram

This paper reports the first MEMS device designed for in vitro measuring of electroisletogram (EIG) of individual rat islets. Using vacuum to hold an islet in proximity to a microelectrode, strong EIG signals in millivolt range are obtained, while the noise is about 100μV pk-pk. This work proves the feasibility of using MEMS and EIG for high-throughput screening, in contrast to patch-clamp measurements, of islets for transplantation to treat diabetes.