Aria, An Automated Perfusion System

Fluigent’s Aria is an automated perfusion system designed for laboratories that need precise, repeatable and hands-free fluid delivery for cell and tissue experiments. Built for spatial omics, immunolabeling, FISH, DNA-PAINT, multiplexed imaging, calcium imaging and live-cell workflows, Aria automates complex sequential perfusion protocols while helping researchers reduce manual handling, contamination risk and experiment-to-experiment variability.

The system can deliver up to 10 different solutions into a chamber or microfluidic chip according to user-defined protocols, supporting injected volumes from 40 µL to hundreds of mL over experiments that may run for several days. Flow rate, incubation time and dispensed volume can be programmed through Fluigent’s intuitive software, allowing users to build, save and repeat protocols with minimal setup time.

Aria is especially valuable for imaging-based applications where stability and timing matter. By synchronizing with microscopes through TTL or TCP communication, the system can alternate between reagent delivery, incubation and image acquisition cycles, making it well suited for long-duration or high-resolution microscopy workflows. The software also includes features designed for imaging rooms, including dark mode and LEDs for easier operation in low-light environments.

Compared with manual pipetting, Aria provides smoother, controlled injections and helps preserve sample integrity by reducing shear stress and avoiding repeated manual intervention near the sample. This supports more consistent staining, better reproducibility and safer operation around sensitive microscopy setups. According to Fluigent, Aria reduces variability to 0.5% between experiments, compared with higher variability reported for manual pipetting workflows.

Aria is a flexible alternative to fully dedicated, application-specific platforms. It can adapt to different perfusion chambers, microfluidic chips and experimental protocols, making it a strong choice for research groups that need automation without locking their workflow into a single chip format or assay type. For labs working in spatial biology, cell biology, organ-on-chip or tissue imaging, Aria brings the precision of automated microfluidics into everyday experimental routines.

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