Deep learning for predicting spheroid viability: Novel convolutional neural network model for automating quality control for three-dimensional bioprinting

Authors

Zyva A. Sheikh, Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Oliver Clarke, Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Amatullah Mir, Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Narutoshi Hibino, Advocate Health - MidwestFollow

Recommended Citation

Sheikh ZA, Clarke O, Mir A, Hibino N. Deep Learning for Predicting Spheroid Viability: Novel Convolutional Neural Network Model for Automating Quality Control for Three-Dimensional Bioprinting. Bioengineering (Basel). 2025;12(1):28. Published 2025 Jan 1. doi:10.3390/bioengineering12010028

Affiliations

Advocate Children's Hospital, Oak Lawn

Abstract

Spheroids serve as the building blocks for three-dimensional (3D) bioprinted tissue patches. When larger than 500 μm, the desired size for 3D bioprinting, they tend to have a hypoxic core with necrotic cells. Therefore, it is critical to assess the viability of spheroids in order to ensure the successful fabrication of high-viability patches. However, current viability assays are time-consuming, labor-intensive, require specialized training, or are subject to human bias. In this study, we build a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to efficiently and accurately predict spheroid viability, using a phase-contrast image of a spheroid as its input. A comprehensive dataset of mouse mesenchymal stem cell (mMSC) spheroids of varying sizes with corresponding viability percentages, which was obtained through CCK-8 assays, was established and used to train and validate the model. The model was trained to automatically classify spheroids into one of four distinct categories based on their predicted viability: 0-20%, 20-40%, 40-70%, and 70-100%. The model achieved an average accuracy of 92%, with a consistent loss below 0.2. This deep-learning model offers a non-invasive, efficient, and accurate method to streamline the assessment of spheroid quality, thereby accelerating the development of bioengineered cardiac tissue patches for cardiovascular disease therapies.

Type

Article

PubMed ID

39851302