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Xcellbio announces partnership with Planet Innovation to develop and manufacture world’s first instrument to improve potency for rapid cell therapy manufacturing

PI worked with Xcellbio over the past 2 years to develop and manufacture the AVATAR Foundry instrument at its innovation headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. First commercial clinical use will be at Royal Perth Hospital for cutting-edge tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapies. Planet Innovation will support Xcellbio with additional on the ground technical support for the instrumentation during the trial.

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Decentralized Manufacturing  for C&GT. Key takeaways from our expert panel at Advanced Therapies Week 2025

Perspectives from expert panel: Decentralized manufacturing for cell & gene therapy

Decentralized Manufacturing remains a hot topic in the Cell and Gene Therapy industry. After chairing a panel of industry experts for Advanced Therapies Week in a discussion on how decentralization could potentially revolutionize the manufacturing approach for cell and gene therapies, I bring to you 5 key takeaways from the session.

Unlocking success in the cell and gene therapy landscape of today: Insights from industry experts

The cell and gene therapy (CGT) space is experiencing a transformation period. This article explores trends and strategies shaping the CGT sector, weaving expert perspectives into a cohesive roadmap for innovators and investors alike.

Quantum-Si and Planet Innovation to partner on next generation instrumentation

Quantum-Si and Planet Innovation today announced that they will partner on the development and manufacturing of QSI’s next generation instrument program.

Truvian Health raises $74M - in part to secure FDA clearance for its blood testing platform

Truvian Health recently announced an injection of USD$74 million of capital to be used in part to secure US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its blood testing platform.

Winning strategies for developing diagnostic instruments

PI’s team of experts has been developing instruments spanning molecular, immunoassay, hematology, clinical chemistry, microbiology and more, for several decades. While every situation is different, we asked four of our key experts to share some simple strategies that allow you to achieve commercial success with your new product development.

Point-of-care manufacturing for cell and gene therapies – the debate is heating up

Cell and gene therapies show great promise as cancer treatments. However, patient access, both geographically and financially, is a major challenge to widespread adoption. In order to provide therapies to more patients that desperately need them, the industry is exploring a range of options including point-of-care (POC) manufacturing.

50,000th Dermapen rolls off PI’s production line

Planet Innovation and Dermapenworld are celebrating more than 50,000 Dermapen micro-needling instruments produced at PI’s manufacturing facility and shipped for distribution to more than 80 countries worldwide.

Perspectives from expert roundtable: Strategies to attract funding for C&GT manufacturing tools

Planet Innovation held an exclusive roundtable at Advanced Therapies Week on ‘Strategies to Attract Funding for C&GT Manufacturing Tools’. Here are the highlights

Effective strategies for securing investor funding in cell and gene manufacturing tools development

We share insights from investors on what they prioritize when evaluating funding opportunities for cell and gene therapy tools.

5 critical questions for developing single-use disposables for cell therapy

Single-use disposables are a critical element in any cell and gene therapy manufacturing tool. We look at 5 key questions to consider when developing disposables for cell therapy.

LevitasBio launches LeviCell EOS system for higher throughput cell isolation and enrichment through Levitation Technology

LevitasBio® has partnered with Planet Innovation to design and manufacture its groundbreaking new LeviCell® EOS system for cell isolation and enrichment during sample preparation.

Developing Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing Tools

Why creating a successful cell and gene therapy manufacturing tool is about so much more than core tech

Developing an instrument that automates the cell and gene therapy workflow is no easy task. Your core tech, while critical, is only one part of the overall development, there is so much more that determines the success of your product. Brian Hanrahan shares 4 key tips for creating a successful cell therapy manufacturing tool.

ASP Health Inc. wins Good Design Award with sample prep platform for cancer diagnostics

ASP Health and Planet Innovation have received a prestigious Good Design Award in the ‘Product Design – Medical and Scientific’ category this year for ASP Health’s innovative sample preparation instrument.

What you must get right when developing a complex IVD product

We asked 4 of our key experts what are the most important things to get right when developing complex IVD instruments. This is what they said.

BluSense Diagnostics adopts PI’s NeoSync to remotely monitor and manage its fleet of point-of-care diagnostic instruments

Global diagnostics company BluSense Diagnostics has adopted PI's NeoSync connectivity solution to remotely monitor its fleet of in-market diagnostic instruments.

Evident Corporation and Planet Innovation enter into long-term strategic partnership

Evident Corporation and Planet Innovation today announced a long-term strategic partnership to develop and manufacture innovative digital workflow solutions for life science markets.

Democratization of healthcare and considerations for the at-home POC market

The demand for at-home patient monitoring and greater personal ownership of healthcare continues to grow, as do the opportunities for emerging players in this space.

Planet Innovation’s Irvine manufacturing facility

PI expands Medical Device Manufacturing capacity with the opening of a new 70,000 sq.ft. facility in Irvine, CA

PI has more than doubled its manufacturing floor space in the United States with the opening of its all-new 70,000 sq.ft. production facility in Irvine, CA.

The 4 key principles of a smart regulatory strategy for medical devices

When it comes to commercializing medical devices and products, having a regulatory strategy in place is more than just a tick-box exercise focused on compliance.

What will drive innovation in the diagnostics industry in coming years, and how has the pandemic changed the game?

At the recent 2022 AACC Annual Scientific Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo in Chicago, Illinois, I moderated an insightful panel with three industry experts: John Hart, President and CEO of ASP Health; Jay Srinivasan, Chief Strategy Officer at Truvian Sciences and Stuart Elliott, CEO and co-founder of Planet Innovation.

Keeping medical devices safe and secure: considerations for cybersecurity and privacy

Digitization of healthcare and patient data has gained serious traction on a global scale, driven by the increased demand for connectivity. Now, there is an evident shift away from traditional clinical settings for healthcare. Therefore, it has never been timelier to consider a cybersecurity strategy to maintain patient safety and confidentiality.

ASP Medical Design Excellence Awards Winner

ASP Health and PI pick up Medical Design Excellence Award for sample preparation platform

ASP Health and Planet Innovation have received the Bronze Award in the Testing and Diagnostic Product and Systems category at the 2022 Medical Design Excellent Awards (MDEA) for their innovative, FDA-registered automated sample preparation system.

Panel of experts at BIOMEDevice San Jose 2021

How COVID has changed the game for medtech design and manufacturing

Michael Robards recently moderated an insightful panel discussion at BIOMEDevice Silicon Valley on what it’s been like getting in-vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVD) to market over the last few years.

PI Launches NeoSync™ to transform point-of-care connectivity

Planet Innovation has launched NeoSync™, a unique, out-of-the box product that connects medical devices to popular Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

A diagram showing point-o-care devices connected to EHRs

How should you add connectivity to your point-of-care device – build or buy?

When developing connectivity for your point-of-care diagnostic product, there are two main routes – build or buy. How do you know what’s right for you?

PI partners with ASP Health to develop and manufacture an automated sample preparation platform to enhance cancer diagnostics

PI has partnered with Chicago-based company ASP Health to help them develop and manufacture an innovative sample preparation instrument to enhance cancer diagnostics through more consistent, high quality patient samples.

Stuart Elliott getting an rapid COVID test at PI

PI introduces voluntary COVID-19 rapid testing to help keep on-site staff safe

Planet Innovation is taking another step in providing a safe working environment for on-site staff by introducing voluntary COVID-19 rapid antigen testing at its Australian facility.

Lumos Chair Sam Lanyon and CTO Sacha Dopheide ring the bell to list on the ASX.

Lumos Diagnostics raises A$63m in ASX IPO

Lumos Diagnostics, a PI investee company, has been admitted to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) with trading commencing on July 5 after raising $63 million AUD in an Initial Public Offering (IPO).

Illustration of tidal wave hitting point-of-care device on island.

Point-of-Care testing is great for patients, but a tidal wave of admin for clinics – unless the device is connected

As consumers take more ownership over their healthcare, demand is rapidly growing for fast, convenient and accurate point-of-care (POC) tests. But with this migration to POC testing comes a tidal wave of admin that ambulatory clinics are often unprepared for.

COVID has lit a fire under diagnostic testing – here is what point-of-care companies must do to step up in time

As demand for diagnostic and point-of-care (POC) testing grows, new products are coming to life faster than ever. Ben Druce, VP Strategic Design, shares insights from an expert panel discussion he hosted at the MD&M and BIOMEDigital event.

Atmo Biosciences ramps up production of ingestible gas-sensing capsule at PI’s new manufacturing facility

Atmo Biosciences is ramping up manufacture of its third generation gas-sensing capsule at Planet Innovation’s recently opened new medtech manufacturing facility.

Podcast: Sam Lanyon on the future of advanced manufacturing, digital health and point-of-care diagnostics

Sam Lanyon speaks to the Talking HealthTech podcast about the future of advanced manufacturing and digital health, especially in light of COVID-19.

Market disruption: blood testing beyond the status quo

Experts from Truvian, Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, the University of Chicago and PI discuss the potential impact of real-time point-of-care blood testing.

LevitasBio partners with PI to develop and manufacture the world’s first label-free cell separation platform

Silicon Valley start-up LevitasBio has launched the world’s first label-free cell separation platform, the LeviCell™.

Lumos's Leelu Reader wins Good Design Award

PI and Lumos pick up top Medical Design and Engineering Awards for rapid diagnostic development platform

Planet Innovation and Lumos Diagnostics have won two awards at the 2020 Good Design Awards, including a Good Design Award Gold accolade for Lumos’s Leelu Reader.

Atmo Biosciences CEO Mal Hebblewhite with the gas-sensing capsule

Atmo Biosciences wins $620k grant to advance commercialization of ingestible gas-sensing capsule to diagnose gut disorders

Atmo Biosciences has been awarded a $620,000 Australian Government grant through the BioMedTech Horizons (BMTH) program.

Truvian's point-of-care blood testing device

Planet Innovation develops beta units of Truvian’s automated point-of-care blood testing system

PI has partnered with Truvian, a healthcare company at the intersection of diagnostics and consumer technology, to develop a new point-of-care blood testing device to make routine health tests more convenient, affordable and actionable for consumers.

Atmo Biosciences raises $2.5m in seed financing

Atmo Biosciences, a digital health business that provides objective real-time insights into gut health and microbiome function, has raised a further A$2.5 million in an oversubscribed funding round, supplementing an initial seed raise in March 2019.

If your digital health strategy isn’t driving earnings or learnings, what is it doing?

From start-ups to established companies, almost everyone in the life sciences and diagnostics industries is playing with digital health in one form or another. But how do you ensure this investment translates into commercial success for your company?

Stuart Elliott speaking into ABC microphone

Stuart Elliott speaks on ABC Radio about manufacturing supply chain resilience

Planet Innovation co-CEO and co-founder Stuart Elliott described the COVID-19 pandemic as a “wake-up call” for how medical products are sourced, in an interview with ABC Radio.

The Masterflex® Ismatec® Reglo Digital Pump series.

Cole-Parmer puts user experience at the forefront with new peristaltic pump series

Cole-Parmer's new Masterflex® Ismatec® Reglo Digital Pump series, is not so much an evolution, but a revolution of the popular peristaltic pump range.

PI and Lumos work with Victorian Government to pilot FebriDx as acute respiratory infection patient triage tool in response to COVID-19 pandemic

We are seeking GPs and other healthcare professionals in Victoria, Australia to pilot a new TGA-approved point-of-care test to help differentiate patients with viral from bacterial acute respiratory tract infections.

Tackling the global health threat of antibiotic resistance through Lumos Diagnostics and the FebriDx test

November 18-24 is World Antibiotic Awareness Week, so it’s a good time to draw attention to the global health challenge of antibiotic resistance, which Planet Innovation is combating through its business Lumos Diagnostics.

IDEX Health & Science launches Tridex™ Protein Analyzer for bioprocessing

IDEX Health & Science has launched the Tridex™ Protein Analyzer, which Planet Innovation helped develop, to measure protein titer directly from a bioreactor in real time.

Gibco CTS Rotea Counterflow Centrifugation System being tested in lab

PI to manufacture Scinogy’s new cell processing system for cell therapy manufacture

Planet Innovation is partnering with Melbourne-based start-up Scinogy to manufacture a revolutionary new cell processing system that is being commercialized by global biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Lumos Diagnostics and RPS Diagnostics merge

Lumos Diagnostics merges with RPS Diagnostics

Lumos Diagnostics and RPS Diagnostics have merged to create a full-service point-of-care diagnostic development company and support the international commercialization of FebriDx.

Abbott’s VIP2000 recognized at Medical Design Excellence Awards in New York

Abbott Molecular’s VIP2000 was recognized for its innovative product design and engineering as a finalist at the prestigious Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEAs) in New York.

Imagion Biosystems teams with PI to develop MagSense™ instrument for early cancer detection

PI has entered into an agreement with Imagion Biosystems, a company dedicated to improving healthcare through the earlier detection of cancer, to develop Imagion's MagSense instrument technology.

AusBiotech 2018: Putting digital health development under the spotlight

The AusBiotech National Conference, held in sunny Brisbane, brought together national and international leaders from across the life sciences industry. I took the opportunity to pop into a number of sessions on the growing AI and digital health sectors.

AMP 2018: Improving patient selection through precision medicine

This month’s Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2018 Annual Meeting & Expo focused on the field of precision medicine. Experts from across the molecular diagnostic world gathered in San Antonio, Texas, to exchange knowledge and ideas, with the ultimate aim of creating better patient outcomes.

PI launches Atmo Biosciences to commercialize ingestible gas-sensing capsule for gut health

Atmo Biosciences, a Planet Innovation early stage venture, has signed a licensing deal with RMIT University to secure the exclusive worldwide rights to a ground-breaking ingestible gas-sensing capsule.

Lumos Diagnostics to supply customized Leelu Readers for new California-based partner

Lumos Diagnostics is expanding its global footprint after agreeing an ongoing manufacturing deal for a customized lateral flow reader with a California-based life sciences company.

PI to commercialize pioneering technology that mimics blood flow to detect patients at risk of heart attack or stroke

An RMIT University researcher working with PI on technology that can test patients for bleeding or clotting disorders has been awarded more than $650,000 in NHMRC funding.

APAS Independence wins global accolades at Medical Design Excellence Awards

Clever Culture Systems has collected silver at the prestigious Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEAs) for its innovative APAS Independence instrument, which Planet Innovation helped develop.

PI and Preora Healthcare partner to bring novel detection technology to cancer diagnostic market

Planet Innovation today announced a partnership with Preora Healthcare Inc., pioneers in the detection of early-stage cancers, to bring to market a series of novel, low-cost, minimally invasive, highly accurate and easy-to-use cancer screening tests.

PI launches Lumos: A unique, complete solution provider for rapid point-of-care diagnostics

Lumos Diagnostics develops custom products for its partners using a unique combination of integrated assay and engineering capability paired with its proven reader optical technologies.

Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEAs) in New York recognize Planet Innovation with two Gold Awards

Planet Innovation was a standout performer picking up two of the highest honors at this year’s MDEAs for innovation in medical product design and engineering.

World first baby born using the Geri incubator

In a world first, a baby girl has been born using the specially-designed imaging incubator, Geri, developed and commercialized by Genea and Planet Innovation.

Nplex point-of-care diagnostic platform to deliver connected solution

Planet Innovation’s PoC (Point-of-Care) diagnostic platform, Nplex, will benefit from further investment to develop a cloud-connected medical counter-measures device, for the rapid detection of infectious diseases.

Genea’s IVF deal with Merck secures manufacturing contract for PI

Pharmaceutical giant Merck Serono has signed an exclusive deal securing global marketing and commercialization rights to Genea Biomedx’s range of IVF products including Gavi and Geri, which were designed by Genea with development partner, Planet Innovation.

Genea CEO: From idea to Product of the Year

Tomas Stojanov has been an integral part of an extremely successful network of invitro-fertilisation (IVF) clinics in his role as the CEO of fertility group Genea, but his personal dream is to do more. He wanted to change the world of IVF to benefit his company, his industry and most importantly his patients.

How Genea changed the world of IVF through automation

Despite 30 years of IVF practice the process of freezing human embryos, known as vitrification, has remained extremely manual and susceptible to errors and inconsistencies by embryologists. In 2009, Genea Biomedx teamed up with Planet Innovation to solve this challenge by automating IVF vitrification and finally making the process consistent and standardised for labs around the world.

The secret behind the consumable ‘pod’ that pioneered IVF automation

PI Executive Director Eduardo Vom reveals the details to the microfluidic pod that was developed for the Gavi instrument to enable automated IVF vitrification for the first time in the world.

Event: The Future Direction of IVDs at AusMedtech 2013

Dr. Ian Macfarlane will share his real-world experience on the ingredients to success for both start-up and established IVD companies at Ausmedtech 2013.