US-20260126405-A1 - ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF MEASURING INTRACELLULAR SIGNAL

US20260126405A1US 20260126405 A1US20260126405 A1US 20260126405A1US-20260126405-A1

Abstract

An electronic device includes an electrode configured to contact a cell, a power supply device connected to the electrode and configured to apply a current to the cell, an amplifier circuit configured to measure at least one component of the current, a processor, and a memory storing instructions, where the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to measure an impedance between the cell and the electrode based on the current, and determine a connection strength between the cell and the electrode based on the impedance.

Inventors

Byungsu JUNG

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250624
Priority Date: 20241107

Claims (20)

1 . An electronic device comprising: an electrode configured to contact a cell; a power supply device connected to the electrode and configured to apply a current to the cell; an amplifier circuit configured to measure at least one component of the current; a processor; and a memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to: measure an impedance between the cell and the electrode based on the current, and determine a connection strength between the cell and the electrode based on the impedance.
2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the power supply device comprises a first power supply device configured to apply a direct current (DC) to the cell and a second power supply device configured to apply an alternating current (AC) to the cell.
3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one component of the current comprises a DC component and an AC component, and wherein the amplifier circuit comprises a first amplifier circuit configured to measure the DC component of the current and a second amplifier circuit configured to measure the AC component of the current.
4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the electronic device to measure, through the first amplifier circuit, a DC voltage of the electrode generated by the DC applied by the first power supply device to the cell; and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to measure the impedance by measuring, based on the measured DC voltage, a first impedance of the DC component generated by applying the DC to the cell.
5 . The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the electronic device to measure, through the second amplifier circuit, the AC applied by the second power supply device to the cell; and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to measure the impedance by measuring, based on the measured AC, a second impedance of the AC component generated by applying the AC.
6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to determine the connection strength by: based on the impedance being greater than a preset threshold value, determining that the connection strength between the cell and the electrode is strong, and based on the impedance is smaller than the preset threshold value, determining that the connection strength between the cell and the electrode is weak; and wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the electronic device to increase an intensity of the current applied to the cell based on the connection strength being determined to be weak.
7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the electronic device to adjust an intensity of the current based on the connection strength between the cell and the electrode.
8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to adjust the intensity of the current by increasing the intensity of the current based on the connection strength between the cell and the electrode being determined to be weak.
9 . A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising: applying at least one component of a current to a cell that contacts an electrode; measuring an impedance between the cell and the electrode based on the current; and determining a connection strength between the cell and the electrode based on the impedance.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one component of the current comprises a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the measuring of the impedance between the cell and the electrode comprises measuring at least one of the DC component and the AC component.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the measuring of the impedance between the cell and the electrode further comprises: measuring a DC voltage of the electrode generated by a DC applied to the cell; and measuring, based on the measured DC voltage, a first impedance of the DC component generated by applying the DC to the cell.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the measuring of the impedance between the cell and the electrode further comprises: measuring an AC applied to the cell; and measuring, based on the measured AC, a second impedance of the AC component generated by applying the AC to the cell.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the determining of the connection strength between the cell and the electrode comprises: based on the impedance being greater than a preset threshold value, determining that the connection strength between the cell and the electrode is strong, and based on the impedance being smaller than the preset threshold value, determining that the connection strength between the cell and the electrode is weak, and wherein the method further comprises increasing an intensity of the current applied to the cell based on the connection strength being determined to be weak.
15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising: adjusting an intensity of the current based on the connection strength between the cell and the electrode.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the adjusting of the intensity of the current comprises increasing the intensity of the current based on the connection strength between the cell and the electrode being determined to be weak.
17 . A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an intracellular signal measurement device to: apply at least one component of a current to a cell that contacts an electrode; measure an impedance between the cell and the electrode based on the current; determine a connection strength between the cell and the electrode based on the impedance; and increase an intensity of the current applied to the cell based on the connection strength being determined to be weak.
18 . The storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the at least one component of the current comprises a direct current (DC) component and an alternating current (AC) component, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the intracellular signal measurement device to measure the impedance between the cell and the electrode by measuring at least one of the DC component and the AC component.
19 . The storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the intracellular signal measurement device to measure the impedance between the cell and the electrode by: measuring a DC voltage of the electrode generated by a DC applied to the cell; and measuring, based on the measured DC voltage, a first impedance of the DC component generated by applying the DC to the cell.
20 . The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the intracellular signal measurement device to measure the impedance between the cell and the electrode by: measuring an AC applied to the cell; and measuring, based on the measured AC, a second impedance of the AC component generated by applying the AC to the cell.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is based on and claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0157390, filed on Nov. 7, 2024, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method of measuring an intracellular signal. 2. Description of Related Art To measure intracellular signals, circuits for signal measurement and cells may be connected by electrical and/or physical methods. For example, to measure intracellular signals through a multielectrode array (MEA), cells may be electrically connected to the MEA. In another example, to measure intracellular signals through a patch clamp, cells may be physically connected to the patch clamp. Information in this Background section has already been known to or derived by the inventors before or during the process of achieving the embodiments of the present application, or is technical information acquired in the process of achieving the embodiments. Therefore, it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to the public. SUMMARY Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments of the disclosure. According to an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device may include an electrode configured to contact a cell, a power supply device connected to the electrode and configured to apply a current to the cell, an amplifier circuit configured to measure at least one component of the current, a processor, and a memory storing instructions, where the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the electronic device to measure an impedance between the cell and the electrode based on the current, and determine a connection strength between the cell and the electrode based on the impedance. The power supply device may include a first power supply device configured to apply a direct current (DC) to the cell and a second power supply device configured to apply an alternating current (AC) to the cell. The at least one component of the current may include a DC component and an AC component, and the amplifier circuit may include a first amplifier circuit configured to measure the DC component of the current and a second amplifier circuit configured to measure the AC component of the current. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may further cause the electronic device to measure, through the first amplifier circuit, a DC voltage of the electrode generated by the DC applied by the first power supply device to the cell, and the instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to measure the impedance by measuring, based on the measured DC voltage, a first impedance of the DC component generated by applying the DC to the cell. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may further cause the electronic device to measure, through the second amplifier circuit, the AC applied by the second power supply device to the cell, and the instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to measure the impedance by measuring, based on the measured AC, a second impedance of the AC component generated by applying the AC. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to determine the connection strength by, based on the impedance being greater than a preset threshold value, determining that the connection strength between the cell and the electrode is strong, and based on the impedance is smaller than the preset threshold value, determining that the connection strength between the cell and the electrode is weak, and the instructions, when executed by the processor, may further cause the electronic device to increase an intensity of the current applied to the cell based on the connection strength being determined to be weak. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may further cause the electronic device to adjust an intensity of the current based on the connection strength between the cell and the electrode. The instructions, when executed by the processor, may cause the electronic device to adjust the intensity of the current by increasing the intensity of the current based on the connection strength between the cell and the electrode being determined to be weak. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a method of operating an electronic device may include applying at least one component of a current to a cell that contacts an electrode, measuring an impedance between the cell and the electrode based on the current, and determining a connection strength between the cell and the electrode based on the impedance. The at least one component of the current may include a DC component and an AC component. The measuring of the