Fluicell, a bioprinting firm based in Sweden, has launched its new high-precision 3D printer, the Biopixlar AER.
Intended as a successor to the original Biopixlar, the device is Fluicell’s second single-cell 3D bioprinting system. The company has designed its latest machine to be as compact and accessible as possible, and claims that it’s the world’s first microfluidic bioprinter that fits inside a standard flow hood or biosafety cabinet. This enables users to easily integrate it with other in vitro and 3D cell culture technologies.
Victoire Viannay, CEO of Fluicell, said, “With Biopixlar AER, we have reached a new important milestone and we can now offer a pioneering product, fully tailored to meet current and future needs in the rapidly accelerating life science and research sector.”
Single-cell bioprinting with Fluicell
Founded in 2012, Fluicell is a spin-off from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. The biotech company specializes in high-resolution bioprinting and single-cell biology, providing microfluidics technology for the life sciences sector. Fluicell boasts an impressive IP portfolio featuring five different patent families.
The company’s debut single-cell bioprinter was the Biopixlar, a comprehensive discovery platform used for building novel tissue models for drug development, as well as disease and regenerative medicine research. It’s capable of printing multiple different cell types in one run using a micromanipulator arm, a motorized stage, and a unique handheld gamepad interface.
The rest of the company’s product portfolio comprises devices for pharmacological research. This includes the BioPen, a single-cell lab-on-a-tip tool for targeting individual cells in vitro, and the Dynaflow Resolve, an ion channel screening platform.
The Biopixlar AER
The Biopixlar AER features the same open-volume microfluidics technology found in the company’s original bioprinter, giving users full control over the placement of individual cells. Deposition rates range from single cells to thousands of cells, enabling the printing of everything from single-cell arrays to complex multi-cell tissues.
The system comes complete with exchangeable single-use printheads manufactured out of medical-grade elastomer. They have the capacity to hold up to three different cell types at a time. As such, the Biopixlar AER doesn’t require any bioink to actually print cells, creating a cell-friendly environment to ensure up to 95% cell viability instead.
Designed with streamlined workflow integration in mind, the Biopixlar AER sports a user-friendly interface allowing users to control all aspects of the printing process. This includes the printing position and pressure, as well as the built-in microscope and camera. Seeing as the machine can also be remote-controlled, it’s expected to push the limitations of medical research and drug development in demanding conditions such as microgravity and in deep-sea research.
The Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has already tested the performance and user experience of the Biopixlar AER as part of the development process.
Oscar Jungholm, from the Karolinska Institutet’s department of physiology and pharmacology, said, “This novel platform enables a broad spectrum of new experimental approaches, such as studies of molecular uptake into cells, advanced electrophysiological recordings via calcium imaging, and studies of cell communication and signaling. Indeed, the Biopixlar AER is also well adapted for precise or local administration of drugs to cells, enabling advanced pharmacological studies.”
Technical specifications and pricing
Below are the technical specifications for the Biopixlar AER. Visit the Fluicell webpage to request a quote.
| Stage travel range | 16 x 16mm |
| Movement precision | 5 microns |
| Dish holders | For 35, 36.5, and 50mm cell dishes |
| Outer dimensions | 280 x 270 x 420mm |
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Featured image shows the Biopixlar AER. Photo via Fluicell.
