Predicting the number of printed cells during inkjet-based bioprinting process based on droplet velocity profile using machine learning approaches

In this work, our proof-of-concept study can be used to predict the number of cells within printed droplets based on droplet velocity at two different points along the nozzle-substrate distance using machine learning approaches. A novel high-throughput contactless method that combines the use of an optical system and machine learning algorithms was utilized for various applications such as cell detection within single droplets (presence/absence of cells) and prediction of the total number of printed cells within multiple droplets by measuring the droplet deceleration between two positions along the nozzle-substrate distance. The proposed method in this work has demonstrated good accuracy in cell prediction within single droplet (presence/absence of cells) and low prediction error in determining number of cells within multiple droplets by reducing the error by a factor of $$\sqrt{N}$$ for N droplets measured in a batch. The performance of five different machine learning algorithms such as linear regression, support vector regression, decision tree regressor, random forest regression, and extra tree regression were compared to determine the best algorithm for each type of application. The random forest regressor algorithm demonstrated the highest accuracy at 80% in cell prediction (presence/absence of cells) within single droplets, while the extra tree regressor demonstrated the lowest mean error of 12% in predicting the number of printed cells within multiple droplets (e.g., 20 droplets on same spot). By incorporating these models in a droplet monitoring system, live assessment of the number of printed cells during an inkjet-based bioprinting process can be achieved.