An air-molding technique for fabricating PDMS planar patch-clamp electrodes.

We present a new technique for fabricating planar patch electrodes in the laboratory. Planar electrodes are micromolded using a micron-sized stream of air to define an aperture in the silicone elastomer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). We have previously demonstrated that planar PDMS electrodes make excellent patch electrodes after surface modification. We demonstrate single-channel measurements of the rSlo channel in Xenopus oocytes and whole-cell measurements in CHO and RBL mammalian cell lines, using planar PDMS electrodes.