Coatings of semiconductor quantum dots for improved visibility of electrodes and pipettes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9880149-B2
Application number	US-201414173652-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2014
Priority date	Feb 8, 2013
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A glass pipette such as an electrode for electrophysiological recording is coated with quantum dots. This greatly aids the ability to observe the glass pipette, particular in tissue as the quantum dots provide an excellent performance under two-photon illumination used to visualize objects at depths of hundreds of microns.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of visualizing comprising:
providing a glass pipette having a tip and a back;
contacting the tip with hexane while applying positive pressure to the back; then
contacting the tip with quantum dots suspended in an organic solvent while applying positive pressure to the back, thereby obtaining a glass pipette with the tip thereof coated with a plurality of quantum dots; then
confirming that the tip is not clogged; then
applying the coated tip to a cell culture or tissue,
visualizing the coated tip under two-photon microscopic illumination sufficient to cause the quantum dots to emit a fluorescent signal while positioning the tip to avoid comprising cells; and
using the pipette to perform electrophysiological recording.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said quantum dots are embedded in a polymer.

3. A method of visualizing comprising:
providing a glass pipette having a tip and a back;
contacting the tip with hexane while applying positive pressure to the back; then
contacting the tip with quantum dots suspended in an organic solvent while applying positive pressure to the back, thereby obtaining a glass pipette with the tip thereof coated with a plurality of quantum dots; then
confirming that the tip is not clogged; then
applying the coated tip to a cell culture or tissue;
visualizing the coated tip under two-photon microscopic illumination sufficient to cause the quantum dots to emit a fluorescent signal while positioning the tip to avoid comprising cells; and
using the pipette to perform calcium sensing.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said quantum dots are embedded in a polymer.

Assignees

• Inst Of Experimental Medicine Of The Hungarian Academy Of Sciences
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Medintz Igor L
• Andrasfalvy Bertalan K
• Susumu Kimihiro
• Delehanty James B
• Huston Alan L
• Macklin John J
• Barbic Mladen

Classifications

• C03C17/003

  for hollow ware, e.g. containers · CPC title

• B01L3/021

  Pipettes, i.e. with only one conduit for withdrawing and redistributing liquids · CPC title

• C03C17/22

  with other inorganic material (C03C17/34, C03C17/44 take precedence) · CPC title

• C03C2217/28

  Other inorganic materials · CPC title

• C12M35/02 Primary

  Electrical or electromagnetic means, e.g. for electroporation or for cell fusion · CPC title