Abstract: Studying retinal diseases in vitro is challenging due to the complex nature of the eye. Retinal organoids, mimicking the eye's structure and function, offer a means to replicate this complex biology in vitro. Recently, organoids have made significant impacts in basic research, drug discovery, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. The global organoid market reached $517 million in 2021 and is projected to grow to $1.2 billion by 2031, with organoid use increasing by over 200% in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and hospitals. Since 2022, there have been 4,000 publications on retinal organoids and 13,000 on brain organoids.
The future of organoid research aims to develop high-throughput methods that require increased organoid production while reducing variability and labor-intensive manual handling. For retinal organoids, yield and quality can vary, necessitating specific selection criteria. Currently, the selection process is manual, taking days to weeks. An automated sorting system capable of imaging, classifying, and sorting high-quality organoids quickly would enhance culture efficiency while reducing costs. Presently, there is no system that can quickly sort large organoids (Ø > 0.5mm) with low variability and high throughput.
In collaboration with IOB, CSEM has developed a bespoke robotic sorter, the OrganEYEzer, to automate organoid imaging, classification, and sorting, significantly reducing variability and time requirements.
Mature, high-quality retinal organoids contain retinal tissue on their outer surface and are surrounded by hair-like structures. Without these features, the organoids lack physiological relevance, which makes sorting crucial for drug screening and development. Unfortunately, manual organoid selection is biased, and the results can drift over time. The OrganEYEzer uses a deep-learning algorithm to identify high-quality organoids and ensures the selection process isn't subjective or biased, reducing the risk of selection drift.
Current organoid experiments require manual handling, involving imaging under a microscope, careful transfer to a well-plate, and gentle handling. The OrganEYEzer automates these tasks, identifying and placing high-quality organoids into well-plates, reducing sorting time by approximately 50% compared to manual sorting over a day. Additionally, it is not limited to sorting retinal organoids and can be used for brain organoids.
The OrganEYEzer features an open, compact, and lightweight design that is compatible with sterile cell culture biosafety cabinets. A working prototype using off-the-shelf components is operational and is being tested at the IOB. Additional prototypes are currently being developed and tested at other industrial partners.
Finally, interest in the OrganEYEzer technology is growing from multinational pharmaceutical companies, start-ups, academia, liquid-handling companies, and microscopy companies, underscoring the potential of organoids in biotechnology.