Potentiometric Probes LLC

Potentiometric Probes LLC is a for-profit limited liability company that specializes in developing advanced optical tools for cardiac research and safety pharmacology applications. The company focuses on creating organic voltage-sensitive dyes (VSDs) that convert changes in membrane voltage to fluorescent signals, enabling high-fidelity optical recording of electrical activity in cardiac cells, tissues, and whole hearts. Potentiometric Probes' unique technology allows for dual-wavelength ratiometric recording of electrical activity, which eliminates contraction-induced motion artifacts and permits accurate measurements of action potential waveforms. This innovative approach replaces traditional individual electrodes with sensitive high-speed cameras, facilitating massively parallel high-throughput screening and high-resolution spatiotemporal mapping of electrical signal propagation.

Through federal grant awards, Potentiometric Probes LLC has been advancing its VSD technology for various applications in biomedical research. The company has received multiple grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH) agencies, including the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). These grants support the development and commercialization of a suite of optimized, stable, and non-toxic ratiometric VSDs for cardiac research and safety pharmacology. Specific projects include expanding capabilities for high-fidelity optical recording in cardiac cells, synthesizing near-infrared VSDs for use with light-dependent channel rhodopsins in human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, and creating a broad selection of spectral windows for accurate recordings from beating hearts. Additionally, Potentiometric Probes has worked on improving ratiometric VSDs for in-vitro and in-vivo imaging of brain electrical signaling under a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). These projects aim to address growing market demands in cardiac research, drug screening for cardiotoxicity, and potential future applications in personalized medicine and clinical imaging of action potential propagation in the heart.