Flexible control of electrode pattern on cultivation chamber during cultivation of cells using nondestructive optical etching

We have developed a method for flexible changing the shape of the electrode layer on a cultivation chip by nondestructive optical etching with a focused 1064 nm infrared laser during cultivation of cells on it. When the etched width of the scratch on the electrode layer of cultivation chip reached 10 μm, the conductance decreased to 0 S. The method was then examined for the area-specific stimulation of cardiac myocytes cultivated on the chip, and was found to stimulated the cells in the area successfully. The result indicates the ability of flexible-area-specific electric stimulation to change the shape of an electrode during cultivation.