Spheroids are three-dimensional cell clusters that serve as reliable in vitro models for cancer drug screening, mimicking tumor microarchitecture and chemoresistance. Despite their potential, current spheroid culture systems lack essential but highly challenging features, such as automatic real-time imaging, treatment response assessment, and detailed live image capturing without disturbing the spheroid structure. To address these challenges, we developed a custom culture dish with a micro-patterned agarose structure, fabricated from a 3D-printed mold. This innovative tool facilitates spheroid growth and immobilization, enabling automated high-throughput imaging and data collection. It allows the microscope objective to approach the spheroid closely (within micrometers) while it floats in the culture medium, in a mapped position. Furthermore, the platform is compatible with several imaging systems, including standard, confocal and dual-photon microscopy. We successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of our platform by culturing and treating osteosarcoma spheroids with different concentrations of a standard chemotherapeutic agent and by capturing confocal images of extracellular matrix antigens in live spheroids. Additionally, we showed that the platform is compatible with viability and metabolic assays (e.g. Alamar blue and acid phosphatase), with minimal reagent consumption and cost-effective, simultaneous imaging-based assays. In conclusion, we propose an innovative platform for the study of tumor spheroids and other three-dimensional cellular structures, which allows tracking of size, shape, antigen expression, viability, and indirect monitoring of cell count over time. This advancement enhances our capacity to conduct in-depth investigations of cell behavior and therapeutic responses, contributing significantly to cancer research and drug development.

Foot pain represents one of the most common symptoms in lower limb issues, especially in elderly individuals. This condition, often associated with other pathologies, increases the risk of falling. To better understand the risk of falls, it is essential to assess patients’ postural stability. In this pilot study, we aimed to set a protocol to prevent the falling risk. We propose the use of inertial sensors (IMUs) to detect even minimal body oscillations in a non-invasive, rapid, and cost-effective way. We have analyzed a sample of 35 patients (age = 58 ± 14 years, female = 20/male = 15) to investigate the total range of body sway in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions during static balance in relation to their age and BMI. The analysis of the collected parameters (sway area, sway pathAP, and sway pathML) has showed a lower stability at t1, at the time of orthosis application, with respect to the previous condition, implied by the necessary period of adaptation to the new plantar device. In fact, the postural parameters have visibly improved at 30 days (t2). Comparing the results obtained in the different postural exercises, we have obtained significant differences between the natural standing position with eyes open and the others. According to these results, we can suppose that using inertial sensors associated to postural exercise is the best way to assess a patient’s postural stability and that the progressive improvements may be more marked over a longer period, such as six months (t3).