Abstract: A method of producing glass pipettes or glass capillaries for patch-clamp experiments and an apparatus for producing glass pipettes or glass capillaries.

Abstract: The invention shows a method for patch-clamp experiments on cells or similar structures, where at least one cell is inserted into the lumen of a capillary and is positioned inside the capillary so, that a sufficiently tight seal with a resistance exceeding 1, preferably 10 GigaOhm develops between cell membrane and inner surface of the capillary. Along its length said capillary has at least at one position a smaller inner diameter than the outer diameter of said cell. Preferably the cell is inserted and positioned in the capillary by pressure, suction, sedimentation or centrifugation of a suspension or solution containing said cell. An apparatus for performing experiments using this method is described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing glass pipettes or glass capillaries. In said method, a pipette or capillary (1) with a conical tip and a tubular section that adjoins the latter is fixed in a retaining device (2), the fixed glass pipene (1) is then introduced into the thermal radiation field of a heating unit (3), the glass pipette is softened at least in the tip region, a gas pressure is applied to the interior of the glass pipette in such a way that the diameter of said pipette is abruptly lengthened by a small amount between the base surface of the cone and the tubular section, the expanded glass pipette (1) is then removed from the thermal radiation field of the heating unit (3) and the abrupt lengthening of the diameter of the glass pipette (1) is verified and preferably controlled with the aid of an optical observation unit (4).