RTCA CardioECR Software

Record plate layout

Using an intuitive graphical interface, the contents/conditions of each well in the electronic microplate (E-Plate) are recorded (Figure 1). Information fields for the wells include cell type, cell number, drug identity, drug concentration, etc. Table autofilling functions, similar to excel or other spreadsheet programs, are available. These functions enable rapid data entry and automatic establishment of drug concentration gradients, cell number titrations, etc. Even when multiple cell types and assay conditions are being examined, it takes just minutes to record the information for every well in a plate.

Figure 1. Zoomed in screenshot of table for recording the contents/conditions of each well in an E-Plate CardioECR 48

Define data acquisition parameters & Run experiment

Using a second table, the details of electrical stimulation and data acquisition are defined. These include:

• Defining experimental mode: impedance only, impedance + field potential, or electrical pacing stimulus only
• Defining the pulse type and frequency of the electrical pacing stimulus
• Defining the duration of impedance and field potential data acquisition

Press “Run” and watch as impedance and field potential data are acquired simultaneously in real time for every well in the plate. Even as data is being acquired, it can be viewed and graphically manipulated.

Figure. Data analysis using the CardioECR software. (A) Quantifying field potential duration in the presence and absence of drug. (B) Using impedance traces to quantify cardiomyocyte beating rate and amplitude in the presence and absence of drug.

Data plotting & analysis

Using an intuitive graphical interface, the real-time impedance and field potential data for all the wells, or a subset of wells, from the E-Plate can be plotted (Figure 2A). Data from multiple wells can be averaged and the coefficient of variation can be automatically calculated and plotted. The viewing window for the X- and Y-axis can be readily adjusted, and data traces can be normalized to a specific time point (for example, immediately before drug addition. By zooming in on a short time range it is possible to view the rhythmic fluctuation in impedance and field potential associated with cardiomyocyte beating (Figure 2B). Impedance and field potential traces can be viewed individually or can be overlaid on one another.

Figure 2. Data plotting and analysis using the CardioECR software. (A) Screenshot of data plotting/analysis window. Here, all of the curves have been normalized to the time point immediately preceding drug treatment (denoted by the bold back vertical line). Error bars represent coefficients of variation. (B) Viewing cardiomyocyte contraction (red, green, blue, and pink traces) and field potential (black traces). By zooming in on a shorter time range (the time points inside the red box in part “A”), it is possible to view the rhythmic fluctuation of impedance and integrated ion channel activity associated with cardiomyocyte beating. Though shown overlapped here, the impedance and field potential traces can be viewed individually.