In Vivo
	2-Needle Array		Tweezertrodes
	Genetrodes		Genepaddles
	Caliper Electrode

Product Information Technical Specifications (PDF, 145KB) Instructions for Use (PDF, 116KB)

Tweezertrodes are reusable, tweezer-style in vivo electrodes for drug or gene delivery in animals. Tweezertrodes consist of a standard 11.5 cm tweezer that has been modified with stainless steel circular or disk electrodes at the tip. The gap between the electrode disks may be adjusted from under 1 mm to over 2 cm. Tweezertrodes come in two models. Model 520 has an electrode disk diameter of 7 mm and Model 522 has a diameter of 10 mm. Tweezertrodes may be cleaned with a mild detergent and sterilized with ethanol or ethylene oxide. These electrodes are connected to a pulse generator with the Model 524 Connection Cable, and are compatible with most BTX Electroporation System

Applications

Tweezertrodes may be used for many in vivo applications, including gene and drug delivery. Following localized or systemic injection of the molecule of interest, the Tweezertrode electrode disks are used to grasp the tissue of interest. An electroporation pulse is then given, initiating pore formation and incorporation of the molecule into the cells of the tissue in direct contact with the electrode disks. Suzuki et al. used Tweezertrodes to deliver a Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) gene into rat liver. The authors demonstrated successful gene transfer and expression in situ.^1,2 Saito and Nakatsuji used a similar electrode to introduce plasmid DNA during ex-utero and in-utero electroporation.⁷ Sato et al. used the Tweezertrode with the T820 to introduce EGFP expressing plasmid in mouse testis.⁸ Tweezertrodes complement BTX Genetrode Models 508, 510, Caliper Electrode Models 384 and 384L, 2-Needle Array Models 530 and 532 as the newest addition to our in vivo electrode line. The Tweezertrodes can be used to reproduce applications requiring the caliper electrodes, including gene therapy, transdermal drug delivery and electroporation therapy.^3,4,5,6

Ordering Information

References

1. Suzuki et al., Direct Gene Transfer into Rat Liver Cells by in vivo Electroporation, FEBS Letters, 425: 436-440 (1998)
2. BTX Electroporation Protocol PR0363 (1998)
3. Zhang et al., In vivo transdermal delivery of large molecules by pressure-mediated electroincorporation and electroporation: a novel method for drug and gene delivery, Bioelectrochemistry and Bioenergetics, 42: 283-292 (1997)
4. Dev, Giordano and Brown, In vivo delivery of gene to rabbit carotid artery by electroporation, Third U.S. / Japan Symposium on Drug Delivery Systems (Abstr.), 38 (1995)
5. Dev, Killing cancer cells with a combination of pulsed electric fields and chemotherapeutic agents, Cancer Watch, 3: 12-14 (1994)
6. BTX Electroporation Therapy Protocols ECT001-ECT005 (1995)
7. Saito and Nakatsuji, Developmental Biology, 240: 237-246 (2001)
8. Sato et al., Molecular Reproduction and Development, 61: 49-56 (2002)