Impedance Spectroscopy of a Human Hepatic 3D Cell Model in-Vitro: A Comparative Study with Differently Shaped Electrodes

By measuring modulus and phase of either impedance Z or reflection coefficient S-11 of differently shaped electrodes which were in defined contact with a biological sample, we showed that electrical parameters may be utilized to assess biological functions on a three-dimensional (3D) in-vitro system. Using the example of a human hepatic 3D cell model we showed that certain frequency domains in the impedance or reflection coefficient spectra may be assigned to specific biological functions, which would possibly enable the investigation of preclinical drug metabolism and toxicity testing in-vitro. Furthermore, we comment on assets and drawbacks of the electrode designs for the use as a measurement probe in biological studies. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.