The CardioExcyte package offers an optional Integra Viaflo Assist automated multichannel pipetting robot. Integra Viaflo Assist is a compact system, that provides reproducible 96-well plate handling of cells and compounds.

The CardioExcyte 96 system operates outside of the cell culture incubator, due to its incubation system. Even long-term recordings can be performed on a lab benchtop, as the incubation system takes care of the optimal temperature, CO₂ gas mix, and humidity.

For investigation of hypoxic conditions, the CardioExcyte 96 Incubation System optional hypoxia variation, allows not only for regulation of CO₂ levels, but N₂ levels as well. This unique set-up opens possibilities for various experimental conditions mimicking oxygen deprived environment.

The stimulating optical lid, CardioExcyte 96 / FLEXcyte 96 SOL, uses LEDs for spatially uniform stimulation of cells transfected with light-gated ion channels such as Channelrhodopsin2 (ChR2). After transfection of iPS cardiomyocytes with ChR2 the cells can be stimulated by blue light. Each light impulse induces a depolarization of the cells and thus an action potential is triggered.

The advantages of optical stimulation over electrical stimulation include the highly precise timing, as all cells of the beating network are stimulated exactly at the time of the light stimulus. In contrast, electrical stimulation propagates from the electrode across the well and thus cells are stimulated progressively. A mean beat calculation of precisely timed beats enables in-depth compound analysis and concentration response dependencies to be obtained. This is one of the key software capabilities of the CardioExcyte Control/ DataControl software package that is provided with each CardioExcyte 96...