The present invention refers to a device for measuring impedance in
organotypic tissue comprising at least one recording chamber with a
liquid permeable membrane supporting the organotypic tissue, at least one
bottom electrode and at least one top electrode, wherein the liquid
permeable membrane divides the recording chamber into a top chamber and a
bottom chamber, wherein at least the bottom chamber contains culture
medium for the organotypic tissue, and the bottom electrode(s) is/are
located in the bottom chamber and the top electrode(s) is/are located in
the top chamber, and wherein the organotypic tissue is located between
the bottom electrode(s) and the top electrode(s). The present invention
also refers to the use of the device according to the present invention
for measuring impedance in organotypic tissue.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for analyzing the
effect of test compounds on pathological and non-pathological organotypic
tissue by measuring the impedance of the organotypic tissue, wherein the
organotypic tissue is cultured in a culture medium during the time of the
analysis and the impedance of the organotypic tissue is measured at least
once before and at least once after treating the organotypic tissue with
the test compound or the impedance of the organotypic tissue treated with
the test compound is compared to a non-treated organotypic tissue,
wherein the impedance is measured using at least one electrode at each of
two opposing sides of the organotypic tissue, and the electrodes are
contacted with the culture medium or the tissue during measuring the
impedance.