Overview

The xCELLigence RTCA Cardio instrument monitors cardiomyocyte activity for cardiotoxicity assessment. The contraction-relaxation cycle of cardiomyocytes gives rise to a distinct, rhythmic fluctuation in impedance that is readily captured on the millisecond time scale. Changes in the intensity and periodicity in impedance are monitored in seconds or in days to assess cardiomyocyte contractility and viability in the presence of various drugs.

The xCELLigence RTCA Cardio instrument, which analyzes cells in an electronic 96-well microtiter plate format (E-Plate Cardio 96), is placed in a standard CO2 cell culture incubator and interfaces via a cable with analysis and control units that are housed outside the incubator. User friendly software allows for real-time control and monitoring of the instrument.