Patch Amperometry

Combined electrochemical/electrophysiological measurements patch amperometry... 

Storage. Intracellular patch amperometry may prove valuable in elucidating the coupling of the neurotransmitter synthesis, storage, and release processes. 

While an array of analytical techniques has been developed to study various aspects of cells (please see Cell Assays in Microfluidics), this entiy is focused on chemical cytometry. As mentioned above, chemical cytometry refers to methods in which intracellular constituents of a single cell are analyzed by means of a chemical separation. Such methods typically employ capillary electrophoresis for separations, combined with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) or amperometry for detection. We refer readers to other entries for detailed descriptions of other methods used to evaluate the contents of cells ( Patch Clamp Measurements On-Chip, Mass Spectrometry on a Chip). 

Electrochemical detection methods such as amperometry and fast cycUc voltammetry are highly effective for making rapid and sensitive measurements of exo-cytotic release events when the released transmitter can be readily oxidized or reduced. Although attempts have been made to enzymatically convert other neurotransmitters into readily oxidizable intermediates [32], this additional step has proven to be too slow to permit the direct observation of individual exocytotic release events in real time. Thus, non-electroactive transmitters must be detected via an alternate means. One alternative is to use the sniffer-patch detection technique [33]. 

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