Abstract
A method of controllable light delivery to retinal rod cells using an optical fiber is described. Photo-induced current of the living rod cells was measured with the suction electrode technique. The approach was tested with measurements relating the spatial distribution of the light intensity to photo-induced current. In addition, the ion current responses of rod cells to polarized light at two different orientation geometries of the cells were studied.
Highlights
The vertebrate retinal rod cells represent advanced low-light detectors granted by nature
By varying the transmission of the NDF, the dependence of the cell response on the number of photons emitted from the fiber was measured in the axial configuration at the distance of 40 μm between the fiber tip and the suction pipette
We have introduced a fiber assisted light interface with retinal rod cells and tested it by measuring the spatial distribution of light intensity and polarization dependence of the cell response in transverse and axial coupling configurations
Summary
The vertebrate retinal rod cells represent advanced low-light detectors granted by nature They have the ultimate sensitivity, low dark noise, and an extremely small foot-print. Photocurrent recordings from isolated retinal rods of various species became accessible with the introduction of the suction electrode technique and eventually with the patch clamp method [4,5,6]. The success of both suction electrode and patch clamp techniques allows studying many different aspects of light perception, including development, dark adaptation, and others [7,8,9]
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