ALLPCB
Overview
Biorep perifusion system
Challenge
Increase throughput and reproducibility of secretory assays used to analyze islets for type 1 diabetes research.
Solution
Use NI LabVIEW software and CompactRIO hardware to create an automated perifusion system. The system provides full environmental control, can stimulate different cell types, and automatically collects secretions according to programmable protocols.
Development and Implementation
Biorep Technologies Inc. needed a device to isolate specific pancreatic cells, namely islets. The isolation process is complex and requires more than 20 different subsystems, five of which require substantial automation. Previously, these subsystems used different platforms and programming languages: one language for the controller, another for the touchscreen, a third for motor drives, and a fourth for stepper drivers. This multi-platform approach added multiple learning curves, lengthy documentation, and inefficient inter-platform communication.
Given the functional maturity of NI products, the team chose the LabVIEW graphical system-design environment to implement the automation. Consolidating most automation onto one software platform reduced the number of languages engineers needed to learn and simplified device workflows. LabVIEW also provided advanced debugging tools and remote debugging capabilities, shortening commissioning time and reducing travel costs.
In three months, the VI development team, led by Chris Fronda, used LabVIEW and CompactRIO to control a complex automated medical instrument that includes multi-axis motion control (stepper motors), precise incubator temperature regulation, and complex liquid handling (electronic valve arrays). The team developed the software architecture using the LabVIEW Real-Time module and the LabVIEW FPGA module. They also used the LabVIEW NI SoftMotion module to simulate system behavior, visualize and optimize motion trajectories on a virtual prototype, and evaluate different design concepts before building hardware prototypes. By using LabVIEW and CompactRIO, development time was reduced from an estimated 12 months to 3 months without writing custom drivers or control software.
System Capabilities
The Biorep perifusion system was initially developed to test islet viability in vitro. The system was subsequently expanded to measure secretions from differentiated cells derived from pancreatic progenitor stem cells.
Perifusion offers advantages over batch incubation when studying cellular responses to stimuli, such as drugs or glucose in diabetes research. In a perifusion system, stimuli are continuously perfused and secreted metabolites are washed away, preventing accumulation that could bias results. While other methods such as dynamic measurements exist, they are less practical, and many labs still rely on batch methods. The automated perifusion system developed by Biorep and the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami simplifies experimental workflows: it provides full environmental control, can stimulate different cell types, and automatically collects secretions under programmable protocols. Validation shows the system is valuable for assessing human islet viability in vitro prior to transplantation.
Applications
Several laboratories now use the system routinely to study islet hormone secretion. The Biorep perifusion platform is not limited to islet research; it can measure secretions from other cell types, including single cells such as stem cells, and is useful in pharmaceutical drug development workflows.
