AI-tool for 3D cell analysis

The HCS-3DX platform performs automated analysis of three-dimensional cell cultures, known as spheroids. Using AI-based image processing and sample selection, the system enables large-scale, high-precision screening of cellular models within a fraction of the usual time.

“Our goal was to create a unified platform that integrates the strengths of existing technologies and can be easily implemented in research and industry” said the first author of the study.

The HCS-3DX platform is based on three main components: an automated Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven micromanipulator for 3D-oid selection, an HCS foil multi-well plate for optimized imaging, and image-based AI software for single-cell data analysis.

The researchers validated HCS-3DX directly on 3D tumor models, including tumor-stroma co-cultures. The data demonstrated that HCS-3DX achieves a resolution that overcomes the limitations of current systems and reliably and effectively performs 3D HCS at the single-cell level.

The platform may enhance the accuracy and efficiency of drug screening processes, support personalized medicine approaches, and facilitate more detailed investigations into cellular behavior within 3D structures.

According to the senior author of the paper: “One of the main bottlenecks in personalized medicine has been the limited throughput of cell-based assays. The HCS-3DX system removes this limitation, allowing for fast, large-scale, and highly accurate analysis.”

The technology is already being tested on clinical samples, where miniature tumor models derived from pediatric brain cancer patients are used to identify the most effective therapeutic options.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63955-5

https://sciencemission.com/HCS-3DX