For the modification, four rows of microelectrode sensors were removed in each well to form a “window” for visual inspection. The gold electrode covers approximately 70 % of the bottom area. The E-Plate VIEW 96 has identical outer dimensions as the E-Plate 96 and allows therefore working with both plates in parallel in RTCA SP and MP Instruments without adapters.
“The new E-Plate features an innovative and unique approach that allows combining impedance-based real-time monitoring with visual inspection of cells,” states Ruedi Stoffel, Life Cycle Leader Cellular Analysis of Roche Applied Science. “We expect that in the long run, the xCELLigence System with the E-Plate VIEW will become the platform of choice also for those users currently working with traditional methods such as cell microscopy or end point assays.” According to Stoffel, the new E-Plate formate will find its use mainly in cancer research, in basic research (developmental biology, receptor biology, embryology), in dermatology, and in neurobiology.