Biopixlar® 3D Single-cell bioprinting
PRINT TISSUES AT WILL
Biopixlar is a completely new type of bioprinter with the unique capability to position cells in three dimensions with high resolution and precision without the use of bioink.
Based on innovative Fluicell technology, Biopixlar is capable of generating detailed, multi-cellular biological tissues, directly in cell culture media.
Biopixlar is all-in-one discovery platform that will help researchers around the globe to build biological tissues for drug development, disease understanding and regenerative medicine research.
- Single-cell resolution
Design your biological tissue by printing down to the level of individual cells.
- High-precision and reproducibility
Structure your biological tissue by precisely controlling the spatial deposition of your living cells and benefit from high reproducibility across replicates.
- >95 % cell viability
The printing process is optimized to minimize the shear forces on the cell sample, achieving very high cell viability (cell viability was tested across multiple cell lines).
- Multi-cellular models
Compose your biological tissue by printing up to three different cell types from the same print-head. By changing the printhead, new cell types can be printed.
- Real-time monitoring
Follow your printing process in real-time with the fully integrated multi-color fluorescence imaging setup.
- Ideal for valuable cell sources
Biopixlar is designed for handling scarce and valuable cell sources such as stem cells, primary cells and patient biopsies.
ALL-IN-ONE DISCOVERY PLATFORM
The Biopixlar platform consists of a bioprinter, a software, a gamepad, all situated on an optical table.
EMBEDDED WITH USER-FRIENDLY FEATURES
The platform contains:
1- Bioprinter
The bioprinter includes a micromanipulator arm and a motorized stage that let you precisely position the printhead and the sample. The printhead, based on innovative Fluicell microfluidic technology, is capable of printing several different cell types. The consumable printhead is made from a medical-grade elastomer and includes wells for containing cell suspension, reactant solutions and for collecting waste. The holder is a sophisticated pressure manifold that ensures a closed system, connecting the microfluidic printhead with a precision pressure controller.
The onboard multi-color fluorescence imaging setup allows real-time monitoring of your printing process and post-print analysis. The Biopixlar bioprinter additionally includes built-in environmental air-flow control, printhead heating, illumination of both the full chamber and the surrounding of the printing area, and optional UV light sterilization.
2- Software with gamepad interface
The Biopixlar software enables easy configuration of the bioprinting process and intuitive use of the bioprinter. Through the software, positioning of the printhead can be controlled, as well as cell type, deposition mode, and printing rate. The environmental controls can also be adjusted.
Biopixlar has the capability of bringing complex geometries in an automated or manual manner. The gamepad interface brings an entirely new way to experience bioprinting by putting full control of the process in the palm of your hand. With the gamepad, you have the ability to e.g. position the printhead, and deposit cells with the press of a button. A graphical user interface is also included for design of simple 2D structures.
TAKE A CLOSER LOOK
With our microfluidic technology, the printhead enables direct cell patterning and printing, ranging from arrays of single cells to complex multi-cellular motifs.
Advance your science with relevant models
Biopixlar is designed for:
- Producing human-like tissue replicas
- Understanding of specific diseases
- Testing of drug compounds
- Translating new therapies and technologies to patient
Some examples of what you can print
Liver Model
Fluorescence microscopy images of a printed patch of liver cancer cells (HepG2, in red) surrounded by fibroblasts (3T3-J2, in blue) taken at t=0 and 24 hours after printing.
Read more about creating in vitro liver models using Biopixlar.
Skin Cancer Model
Fluorescence microscopy images of four printed patches of skin cancer cells (A431, in pink) surrounded by epithelial cells (HaCaT, in green) taken at t=0 and 24h after printing.
Place the Biopixlar printhead at a desired spot, and print your cells of interest. After printing, the cell print is transferred to a cell culture platform allowing for the development of robust tissue models.
3D Tissue Model
Top image: A fluorescence overlay of the 3D tissue model printed, with skin cancer cells as a base line (A431, in purple), epithelial cells as a middle layer (HaCaT, in red) and skin cancer cells as a top layer (A431, in green). Bottom image: an alternate representation of this layered visualization.
Luiz E. Bertassoni, DDS PhD,
Center for Regenerative Medicine and Department of Biomedical Engineering at OHSU School of Medicine:
“Function in the human body is dependent upon the close interaction of several million cells organized on microscale patterns in three-dimensions (3D). While the field of 3D bioprinting has enabled patterning of cells and biological materials with microscale precision, existing methods have been virtually unable to replicate the true complexity of native human tissues and organs. That is because, human tissues, by definition, have complex microscale morphologies and variable cellular compositions, and the spatial distribution of cells at the single cellular level is what determines function, and virtually no bioprinter has been able to achieve that.
Fluicell’s technology is the first of its kind to enable single-cell resolution bioprinting with precision, speed and reproducible accuracy, even in 3D, in a way that was not possible before. This technology certainly provides a new tool for tissue engineers and biologists to mimic the complex geometric patterns and multi-cellular microenvironments that are characteristic to native human organs, and is important stepping stone for the field.”
Bioprinting Performance
| Printing Technology | Microfluidic hydrodynamic confined flow technology |
| Printing Dimension | 2D and 3D printing |
| Printing Mode | Direct printing of cell suspension without the need of gel matrix |
| Printing Surface | Cell dish with culture medium or buffer |
| Deposition Mode | From individual to thousands cells |
| Microfluidic Printhead | Exchangeable single-use consumable made from a medical grade elastomer. Each has the capacity to hold up to 3 cell wells. |
Microscope Specifications
| Illumination | LED fluorescence illumination; bright-field |
| Fluorescence Filters | Blue: Ex. 370-410 nm; Em. 429-462 nm Green: Ex. 473-491 nm; Em. 502-561 nm Red: Ex. 580-598 nm; Em. 612-680 nm |
| Objective | Air 10x (Olympus Plan Fluorite Objective, 0.3 NA, 10 mm WD) |
| Camera | 6 Mpx high sensitivity |
Additional Specifications
| Stage Travel Range | 16 x 16 cm |
| Dish Holders | For 35 mm ø cell dish For 50 mm ø cell dish For microtiter plate (6 wells) |
| Movement Precision | 2 micrometers |
General Specifications
| Software | Java – cross platform compatible |
| Control Interface | Gamepad |
| Air Flow | Filtered air enclosure |