Discover Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform
The Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform is designed for organ-organ cross-talk in the presence of immune cells with robust handling as well as reliable culturing and analysis.
Akura™ Twin OoC Applications
Address present challenges in drug development:
- Add immune competence to your 3D cell-based assays
- Study organ-organ cross-talk with side-by-side co-culturing of different spheroids
- Investigate immune cell / 3D tissue interaction at scale
Akura™ Twin OoC Plate Layout
- The plate is based on the Akura™ 384 Spheroid Microplate and includes the unique SureXchange™ ledge engineered to prevent unintended spheroid/organoid and cell aspiration
- A microchannel connects two adjacent wells enabling soluble factors and single (immune) cells to travel between both wells while the spheroid/organoid remains in its dedicated well
- A unique ULA coating in the well and microchannel preserves spheroid/organoid morphology and prevent immune cell adhesion in long-term culture
- Enhanced imaging speed and resolution through flat and highly transparent bottom well
Experience an innovative and intuitive well architecture:
- One spheroid/organoid per 1-mm diameter well for evident detection and registration
- Conical well design with SureXchange™ ledge protecting the spheroid/organoid cells from aspiration while leaving a minimal residual volume (5-7 ul)
- Simple microfluidic channel for robust and efficient medium flow and cell movement
- Near-complete medium exchange for precise dosing and low experimental variation
Rely on universal plate standards:
- ANSI/SLAS standard format for quick implementation with widely used lab tools
- Tube-free perfusion by using gravity-based flow on parallel plate rocker
- Full compatibility and with automation and robotic liquid handlers
Access a wide range of readout methods:
- Anytime access to supernatants using manual or automated pipetting
- Simple and parallel retrieval of spheroids for lytic assays, histology or RNA sequencing
- In-situ high-content imaging with minimal optical aberration with a flat and highly transparent COP bottom
Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform Workflow
Akura™ Twin OoC Starter Kit
Bring Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform into your lab by acquiring our starter kit offering. It’s everything you need to immediately begin investigating complex biological questions in your research:
Akura™ Flow Programmable All-In-One Tilter
Controls gravity-based flow in incubator with intuitive built-in user interface
5x Pack of Akura™ Twin Microplates
Pack of 5 plates for up to 192 experimental conditions per plate
Akura™ Tilting Stand
Simple handling tool providing gravity-based flow while performing medium exchange under the hood.
20x Pack of Akura™ 96 Microplate
For 3D spheroid aggregation before transferring into Akura™ Twin or for collection after experiments and downstream analysis
1h Akura™ e-Introduction
Learn about concept, design and characteristics of the Akura™ Twin Platform.
Akura™ Organ-on-Chip Training & Support
Personal support and consulting to set up the first experiments with InSphero’s scientific experts.
Akura™ Organ-on-Chip Technology Access Package
Allows for discounted Refills & Voucher (2000 CHF) for InSphero products (valid 6 months)
Frequently Asked Questions
A detailed experimental protocol for the Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform is provided in the product manual. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions to help you get started.
What types of 3D models can be cultured using the Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform?
The Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform is designed to support various scaffold-free 3D cell culture models, including organoids, spheroids, and microtissues. The ULA coating of the wells and microchannels helps preserve model integrity and minimizes cell adhesion during long-term culture. For optimal results, we recommend that your 3D model meet the following criteria:
- Scaffold-free spheroids or organoids generated using Akura™ 96 or 384 Microplates
- Compact morphology with a diameter between 200 µm and 800 µm, allowing for pipette-based transfer and structural integrity throughout the experiment (considering growth over time)
- Pre-established quality control criteria should ideally be followed to assess functionality before loading into the Akura™ Twin Platform
What kinds of suspension cells can I add to the Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform?
We have successfully used both stimulated and unstimulated PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells). In principle, any cell type that survives in suspension as single cells can be used in the platform. We recommend optimizing cell concentrations for your specific application.
What are the dimensions of the spheroid chambers and the connecting channel?
- Spheroid chamber: 1 mm diameter × 600 µm height
- Connecting channel: 1.6 mm wide × 100 µm high
- Well spacing: 4.5 mm center-to-center, matching the standard 384-well plate pitch
How is flow generated in the system?
Flow in the Akura™ Twin Plates is generated by a gravity-driven perfusion system. When the plate is placed on the Akura™ Programmable All-in-One Tilter inside a standard laboratory incubator, it tilts back and forth around its short axis. This motion induces bidirectional flow through the connecting wells. Tilting angles of 20–40° are typically used. No tubing or pumps are required.
Is the Akura™ Programmable All-in-One Tilter required for use?
Yes, we highly recommend using the Akura™ Programmable All-in-One Tilter to enable gravity-based flow in the Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform.
The tilter is designed for automated flow control and fits inside a standard laboratory incubator. It provides programmable reciprocal motion with adjustable tilt angles (0° to ±85°), pause durations, and interval settings, controlled via an integrated microprocessor.
These settings allow precise control of flow parameters such as shear stress, velocity, and flow rate. Conventional cell culture rockers typically lack programmable pause functions in tilted positions, limiting flow control.
Can I culture Akura™ Twin Plates without the Akura™ Programmable All-in-One Tilter?
The Akura™ Tilter is required to generate gravity-based flow between the connected wells. Without tilting, no exchange of soluble factors or cells occurs.
- For effective soluble factor exchange, tilting angles of at least 20° are needed.
- For immune cell exchange (e.g., PBMCs), tilting up to 40° is necessary to support migration between wells.
Why are some channels at the edge perpendicular to the others?
These channels are aligned with the axis of rotation and experience no effective tilting. As a result, they can be used as “no-flow” controls for comparison.
What is the material of the plate?
The plate body is made of polystyrene, and the bottom membrane is made of cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) with a thickness of 188 µm. COP is highly transparent (similar to glass) and offers 92% light transmission in the 400–800 nm range, making it suitable for high-resolution imaging.
Can I aggregate my 3D model within the Akura™ Twin Organ-on-Chip Platform?
No. The platform is designed for pre-formed spheroids or organoids.
We recommend aggregating your 3D model in Akura™ 96 or 384 Microplates following your established protocol. After passing quality control, spheroids/organoids can be transferred into the Akura™ Twin Platform. This approach also supports multi-organ models that require different production times or media.
Transfer can be done manually, semi-automated, or fully automated, with protocols for Opentrons OT-2 available upon request.
