Nanoedge-Regulated Impedance Sensing for Sensitive Cardiomyocyte Mechanophysiological Investigation and Functional Drug Assessment

Cardiomyocyte contraction drives the pumping action of the heart and is fundamental to cardiac mechanophysiology research. Conventional optical and force-based approaches for cardiomyocyte contraction detection are limited by phototoxicity or potential alterations in cell morphology and physiology. Electrical impedance sensing is a label-free approach for noninvasive contraction recording, but current sensor optimization still mainly relies on substantial adjustments to electrode size or pattern. Herein, we present a nanoedge-regulated impedance sensing (NERIS) approach. Electrode structures with different pit depths are designed to regulate the cell-electrode interface to precisely optimize impedance properties. Increasing pit depth shifts the peak impedance response to lower frequencies, potentially reducing detection system bandwidth demands. At the optimized frequencies, long-term recordings support quantitative analysis of cardiomyocyte mechanophysiology. Furthermore, functional cardiac drug assessment is performed by characterizing contractile responses to norepinephrine and isradipine. This NERIS approach is expected to be widely applied in cardiomyocyte mechanophysiology and cardiac drug assessment.