Microdialysis

Microdialysis is a unique technique to monitor the chemistry of the extracellular space in living tissue. In basic research it is primarily used for In Vivo determinations of endogenous compound changes, drug delivery, PK/PD, bioavailability and bioequivalence.

The Microdialysis probe is designed to mimic a blood capillary, and has a semi-permeable membrane that, when perfused with a physiological salt solution, allows an exchange of compounds from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. A representative proportion of molecules from the extracellular fluid is then carried to the probe outlet for collection and analysis.

Microdialysis is a valuable tool for in vivo evaluation studies on drug delivery, drug metabolism, PK/PD, bioavailability, bioequivalence and pharmacological efficacy. It is the only technique that gives simultaneous in vivo temporal information on unbound drug and metabolic levels as well as endogenous compounds in target tissues.