3D printed cell culture microenvironments
Insights into 2PP-based 3D biofabrication for 3D cell cultures and tissue engineering with a live demo of Quantum X bio
More info
Quantum X bio
3D Microfabrication for
biological and biomedical applications
Next level of bioprinting
Get into high-performance 3D bioprinting with submicron features on areas up to 25 cm²
Wide choice of substrates
Take sterile cell culture dishes and microscope slides that are compatible with your lab workflow
Biomaterials and bioinks
Choose from biocompatible printing materials, biomaterials and bioinks, open for custom materials
The world’s most
accurate 3D bioprinter
Quantum X bio is an exceptionally capable, versatile bioprinter with highest resolution. Powered by Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) and grounded in engineering excellence, the proprietary technology is customized and reimagined through the eyes of a biologist.
The direct laser writing based 3D bioprinter offers essential features such as precise temperature control, sterile environment and functionalized biomaterials that unlock a new level of bioprinting and effectively accelerate innovation in key applications such as tissue engineering, cell biology and the full range of biomedical applications. Quantum X bio thus represents the power of bioconvergence.
Advanced biomedical applications
Print virtually any 3D design with unmatched precision and speed, optimize your research with rapid design iteration cycles, and benefit from a wide range of biomaterials, bioinks and biocompatible resins. Even filigree and complex 3D structures can be placed intuitively and with highest precision into microfluidic channels or wells by touch screen tapping.
This makes Quantum X bio the optimal two-photon lithography tool for creating advanced microenvironments for tissue engineering, custom scaffolds for cell studies, and many other innovative biomedical applications where precision, speed, material diversity, and sterility matter.
Bioprinting library and data-driven workflow
With Quantum X bio, you benefit from Nanoscribe’s UX-optimized software, enhanced by a bioprinting library with proven STL models. Combined with monitoring of sensor and video data during printing, it is conceivably easy to print successfully. Upload, start and monitor your two-photon polymerization print job directly from the device’s touchscreen – or remotely from your PC.
Explore bioprinting on the microscale
Quantum X bio puts you in the pole position to explore the full range of biological and biomedical applications. Benefit from a sterile and temperature-controlled substrate holder, sterile accessories, biomaterials and bioinks. Many custom materials are also supported. With Quantum X bio you are ready to explore live cell printing.
Technical features in brief
- Rapid prototyping with highest precision and design freedom along a straightforward workflow
- 3D bioprinter based on two-photon polymerization with cell-friendly wavelength 780 nm
- Industry-proven two-photon lithography platform for many substrate types
- Filtered airflow ensures sterility
- Temperature-controlled substrate holder
- Wide range of universal and application-specific printing materials available for high-resolution 3D printing, including sterile biomaterials and bioinks
- Bioprinting STL library
Technology and range of scales
- 2PP-based 3D bioprinting (direct laser writing)
- 2GL Two-Photon Grayscale Lithography available for stunningly rapid and accurate surface patterning
- Nanoscale printing – subcellular feature size control in all spatial directions down to 100 nanometers
- Microscale printing – with typical object dimensions from 50 to 700 micrometers
- Mesoscale printing – with dimensions up to 50 millimeters
Be ready for live cell printing
Quantum X bio is a two-photon lithography system providing all the features for printing with bioresins containing living cells and keeping them alive. This allows you to explore exciting new applications like 3D tissue models, smart or living materials.
- Sterile, temperature-controlled environment
- Use custom bioresins based on hydrogels
- Cell-friendly wavelength (780 nm)
- Cell viability > 90 % possible
New benchmarks for 3D bioprinting
Facts and figures on Quantum X bio
- Ready for exploring live cell printing using custom bioinks
- Sterile printing conditions provided by filtered airflow, sterile consumables and autoclavable parts
- Open direct laser writing platform allows the use of custom materials
- Printing into cell culture dishes or onto microscope slides for workflow compatibility
- Touchscreen and remote control ensure high usability
- High-speed 3D Microfabrication with ultra-fast voxel modulation rate
- Sensor and video data collection during print
- Quick start and inspiration by bioprinting STL library
- Ideal for multi-user facilities: Modular system for wide range of applications
Explore the full spectrum of biomedical applications
- Cell scaffolds
- Skin/tissue models
- Smart/living materials
- Microfluidics
- Microneedle arrays
- Drug delivery vectors
- Micro/soft robotics
- Vascular models
- Topology for cell mechanics and migration
- Biosensors
- Sub-micron patterning
Benchmark scores
| Feature size control 1 | down to 100 nm |
| Shape accuracy | down to ≤ 200 nm |
| Single print field diameter | up to ≥ 4,000 µm |
| Maximum scan speed 2 | 6.25 m/s divided by lens magnification |
| Cell viability in live-cell printing 3 | > 90 % (1 h after printing) > 85 % (4 h after printing) |
General system properties
| Printing technology | Layer-by-layer 3D printing based on Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) |
| Substrates | Microscope slides (3 x 1” / 76 x 26 mm) |
| Photoresins | Hydrogels from Advanced BioMatrix |
| Maximum print area | 50 x 50 mm² |
Given values may vary depending on the photoresin and structure geometry.
1 100 nm feature size control in x/y direction
2 e.g. for 10x magnification: 625 mm/s
3 Cell viability demonstrated in several of our own experiments based on live-dead counting
Organize your Quantum X bio print jobs
with software and data support
Field-proven 3D bioprinting software for Life Science applications
How to get from your 3D design to the final 3D printed structure? Along Nanoscribe’s software solutions, you will make it easily to your successful print. Generate, upload, print, and monitor your print job directly from the device’s touchscreen or remotely from your PC.
Generate your 3D print job with DeScribeX: The 3D print job development software is based on the field-proven 2PP software DeScribe and guides you from the 3D CAD model import to the print job upload in just a few steps.
Get inspired by the CELLINK STL bioprinting library: Benefit from a comprehensive library of proven STL models that you can download and adapt to your needs. This makes it really easy to print successfully.
Start your print job via the touchscreen: The intuitive touchscreen menu of Quantum X bio easily guides you to successful printing. Also benefit from essential data such as hardware information, system status and the print progress. Furthermore, a live view of the print process via three cameras gives you a visual control at any time.
Stay connected with nanoConnectX: Start and monitor your print job from the office with the remote access software nanoConnectX. The Quantum X bio is therefore well equipped for production environments and multi-user scenarios.
Software facts
DeScribeX is a print job development software for creating individual 3D prints. The integrated import wizard can load STL files as a widely used 3D CAD format. Pre-installed software printing parameter presets are perfect starting points that guide you to a successful print in just a few steps. The export function makes it easy to transfer the print job to the Quantum X bio remotely.
| Key feature | Benefits |
| 3D CAD model import wizard | Intuitive workflow generates suitable print job files from standard STL files |
| Print parameter presets | Ready-to-use preset parameters to achieve optimal printing results right out of the box |
| Adaptive slicing | For surface refinement and improved shape accuracy |
| Parameter sweep | For easily finding perfectly matching print parameters for new materials and applications |
| Integrated Development Environment (IDE) | Experts can generate and modify print files (GWL) for customized and sophisticated printing tasks |
| 3D preview and printing simulation | What you see is what you print! DeScribeX displays parameters such as print time, scan speed or laser power and simulates the whole printing process in detail |
| .nano files | Take advantage of the container file format that includes all necessary information for data exchange and a successful print in a single file |
Benefit from a comprehensive library of STL models jointly provided by CELLINK and Nanoscribe. Instead of spending hours to generate designs in CAD, just pick a design from our database, download and adapt to your needs. The provided designs are inspired by real world applications done by our customers. Designs are scalable, so you can use it not only on Quantum X bio but also for other bioprinters such as CELLINK’s Lumen X+. This is your fast lane to achieving printing success.
Control and monitor the system using the Quantum X bio front panel touch screen, the graphical user interface (GUI). It guides you to a successful print in just a few steps. Select your print project, then load your substrate and start printing.
| Key feature | Benefits |
| Three live cameras | Monitor the printing process online from three perspectives and always be up to date on the current status of your print job |
| Stage control in x, y and z direction | Move the stage to any position on the substrate to define your print area |
| User-friendly print setup | Select resin and substrate, and start the print job with just one click |
| Project list | Keep track of the entire print job history |
| Automatic interface finder | Identify the interface of the substrate with submicrometer accuracy |
nanoConnectX is the remote access software for the Quantum X systems. It brings all the functions and display capabilities of the touchscreen to any computer connected online.
| Key feature | Benefits |
| Remote access to the system | Connect Quantum X bio to your computer, no matter where you are |
| Use all features of the touchscreen | Prepare, control and monitor your print jobs from any location |
| Upload and download print jobs and reports | Take advantage of a direct access from your computer to print-related files |
Making opportunities happen with new features
Check out how
bioprinting and biomaterials printing come about...
How to best perform cell culturing experiments?
In cell cultivation or cell seeding applications, microstructures are first printed using a material such as hydrogels or one of Nanoscribe’s biocompatible IP Photoresins. After printing, the structures are rinsed and cells are seeded onto the structures. Typically, the substrates are kept in incubators to monitor cell behavior over time.
Cell seeding is the most common technique to combine 2PP-based microfabrication with cell research. In our publication database in the website premium section, you will find inspiration from research projects carried out with Nanoscribe technology.
As a cell seeding application example, we printed 100 µm diameter microwells from IP-S and seeded NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells into them. The image below shows an animated vertical image stack of the stained cells inside the microwells:
How to master live cell printing?
Live cell printing means direct laser writing with living cells in the resin – and making them survive the printing. This is a major challenge because cells are typically under stress while being processed and residing inside the printer. To support you with this challenging task, Nanoscribe has implemented several features:
- Temperature controlled substrate holder
- Parts can be autoclaved and cleaned with ethanol
- Cell friendly laser wavelength (780 nm)
- Fast printing speeds to keep print jobs short
- Quantum X bio is adaptable to your custom resin
For most sensitive applications, a HEPA-filtered chamber airflow is available. While live cell printing has been performed with other bioprinting technologies, there are still relatively few reports on combining it with 2PP. Get ready to explore with Quantum X bio!
The following structure was printed from a gelatin methacrylate-based bioresin laden with NIH 3T3 fibroblast cells. The image series shows that the cells are alive and truly embedded in the printed structure.
Which materials are compatible with Quantum X bio?
A wide range of biocompatible materials is available for use:
- Nanoscribe’s IP Photoresin portfolio,
e.g. IP-Dip, IP-S, IP-Q, IP-PDMS, IP-Visio - Nanoscribe GP-Silica
fused silica glass printing - Nanoscribe hydrogels & biomaterials,
e.g. Xpect Inx Photoresins N100 series - BICO hydrogels & biomaterials,
e.g. PEGDA BioInk 500 (CELLINK), PhotoDextran and PhotoGel (Advanced BioMatrix) - Further hydrogels & biomaterials,
e.g. hyaluronic acid, PEGDA-based hydrogels, GelMA-based hydrogels, hydrogel mixtures
Note: Quantum X bio is designed as an open material system and allows you to use your custom or third-party materials, tailored to your application.
How well does Quantum X bio compare with other microfabrication technologies?
The metric for print speed refers to the rate in voxels printed per second and is an indicator of how digital information is converted into solidified material. Quantum X bio features an extremely high speed of 1 million voxels per second.
The plot shown here compares Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) to common additive manufacturing technologies in terms of printing rates and feature sizes. Measured by the absolute volume printing rate of 2PP, the serial process seems to lag behind the speed of other technologies. However, the technology features a high voxel printing rate compared to the fine voxel sizes it resolves.
Our whitepaper offers deeper insights into the performance of various high-precision 3D printing technologies. You can find it in the premium section on our website. Login or register for free.
Why is it so easy to integrate Quantum X bio into production environments and multi-user facilities?
The advanced autofocus system reliably finds the interface of almost any substrate with maximum accuracy and repeatable print results. Three live-view cameras facilitate monitoring and direct laser writing process control. An automatic dispenser applies the correct amount of photoresin onto the substrate, reducing workload and enabling remote operation. To simplify switching between hardware configurations, the Quantum X bio automatically detects the printheads and substrate holders.
Quantum X bio software controls and monitors print jobs in real time and supports intuitive operation through an interactive touchscreen control panel, or remotely from the office via the remote access software nanoConnectX. This remote access also simplifies the work of entire user groups, e.g. members of a research group or a department, with a single oder multiple systems, each of them accessing the Quantum X bio from their own computer.
Quantum X bio
More bio, printing, precision.
Bioprinting success.
We would be pleased to prepare a customized offer for you.
For this, please clarify the details with our sales experts.
