Created by the French digital PCR company Stilla, in collaboration with MGA Medtech, the new Nio™+ is a versatile, all-in-one, fit-for-throughput, digital PCR instrument with unparalleled user-friendliness. It is very compact, fast and highly automated. It also features interestingly innovative hardware and software. We visited the MGA Medtech factory in Mably, France where the machine was developed.
According to Stilla, the Nio™+ is “the next leap forward in digital PCR and the first device that works with laboratories not against them.” Indeed, with this instrument which is fully autonomous, all-in-one and highly compact, the user can make it as simple or as complex as their application requires. For example, as a routine user, it can take only 5 taps or clicks to get going, but as an expert you could have as many as you like.
Another innovative aspect is the fact that the machine allows to load up to eight chip plates concurrently—whether the instrument is running an experiment or not—and Nio™+ will process them automatically. A single chip plate holds up to three chips and one chip holds 16 samples.
“That’s exactly 384 samples worth of flexibility for the user,” explained Stilla in a video.
And if the user inserts their last plate as a back up and let Nio™+ finalize it overnight, they could process up to 768 samples per 8 hours of lab work.
Seven Colors With an Extra One
Regarding the colors, Nio™+ is the first PCR digital instrument to support seven colors with a brand new long shift red as an extra color. Using higher order multiplexing, the user can combine colors to detect and quantify up to 28 targets simultaneously, saving both time and precious sample.
According to Stilla, all of this builds on the Nio™+ “signature chip” called Ruby. The company said:
“Ruby is the most flexible and accessible digital PCR chip yet. It’s much more sensitive than qPCR out of the box and it’s built to work more like PCR plates.”
For experiments requiring even higher sensitivity, the lab teams can simply pool chambers and reach the sensitivity required.
Automated QC Checks
When Nio™+ is done, it immediately runs automated quality control (QC) checks right on the instrument. On the Nio™+ Analyzer software, the user can view data across the dimensions they need with the 1D, 2D and 3D dot plot, and they can have access to raw data to export all experiment details and results.
They can also control populations with automated thresholding, manual thresholding or draw up their own polygons to create custom populations. When ready, the user can export to whatever file format they need and move on to the next experiment.
The Nio™ Analyzer software measures the concentrations of targeted nucleic acids, providing automatic identification of positive and negative droplets for all fluorescence channels.
Highly Compact
According to the biotechnology company, Nio™+ is “the smallest all-in-one digital PCR instrument at its capacity” on the market right now. With a footprint of just 56cm by 67cm, it can fit in even the smallest labs.
As for its applications, it can be used for liquid biopsy, cell and gene therapy, pathogen detection, food and environmental testing, organ transplant, rare event detection and oncology. Stilla commented:
“The Nio™+ is a solution for those running high complexity experiments, for those processing hundreds of samples a day or for those who are just getting started, and for those that are anywhere in between.”
The Mably Factory
To carry through this project, Stilla collaborated with MGA Medtech to build the Nio™+ in the Mably factory in France. The site houses R&D teams focused on hardware and software development, with plans for further expansion. They aim to create a highly digitalized environment, integrating Industry 4.0 principles and paperless operations.
During a visit of the Mably factory, MedicalExpo e-magazine talked to Sebastien Bernay, the site’s director. Bernay said:
“The Mably factory represents a convergence of expertise and resources from Stilla and MGA Medtech, with a focus on innovation, digitalization and meeting the evolving needs of the pharmaceutical industry.
The combined expertise of Stilla and MGA Medtech aims to continue the development and manufacturing of medical devices, particularly in subcontracting.”
Recognizing the shift towards personalized medicines in the pharmaceutical industry, they see an opportunity to provide equipment and consumables tailored to therapies such as gene and cell therapies.
