Laser apparatus and method for microscopic and spectroscopic analysis and processing of biological cells
First Claim
1. Apparatus for analyzing biological cells comprising:
- (a) a laser having a resonant optical cavity formed by at least two reflecting mirrors, a gain medium within the resonant optical cavity, and pump means for activating the gain medium; and
(b) an analysis region located within the resonant optical cavity for containing at least one biological cell to be analyzed, the analysis region being disposed along a central portion of the cavity wherein a laser beam is generated by the laser at least partially in response to one of the biological cells present within the analysis region, the lasers beam having information about the biological cell encoded thereupon.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for microscopic and spectroscopic analysis and processing of biological cells. The apparatus comprises a laser having an analysis region within the laser cavity for containing one or more biological cells to be analyzed. The presence of a cell within the analysis region in superposition with an activated portion of a gain medium of the laser acts to encode information about the cell upon the laser beam, the cell information being recoverable by an analysis means that preferably includes an array photodetector such as a CCD camera and a spectrometer. The apparatus and method may be used to analyze biomedical cells including blood cells and the like, and may include processing means for manipulating, sorting, or eradicating cells after analysis thereof.
282 Citations
43 Claims
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1. Apparatus for analyzing biological cells comprising:
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(a) a laser having a resonant optical cavity formed by at least two reflecting mirrors, a gain medium within the resonant optical cavity, and pump means for activating the gain medium; and (b) an analysis region located within the resonant optical cavity for containing at least one biological cell to be analyzed, the analysis region being disposed along a central portion of the cavity wherein a laser beam is generated by the laser at least partially in response to one of the biological cells present within the analysis region, the lasers beam having information about the biological cell encoded thereupon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. Apparatus for analyzing biological cells comprising:
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(a) a first substrate having a lower reflecting mirror thereon, and a gain medium above the lower reflecting mirror; (b) a second substrate having an upper reflecting mirror formed on a lower surface thereof, the upper and lower reflecting mirrors forming a resonant optical cavity; (c) an analysis region within the resonant optical cavity for containing at least one biological cell to be analyzed, the analysis region being disposed along a central portion of the cavity; and (d) pump means for activating the gain medium to generate in combination with one of the cells present within the central portion of the cavity a laser beam having information about the biological cell encoded thereupon. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for analyzing biological cells comprising the steps of:
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(a) locating at least one cell to be analyzed within an analysis region within a resonant optical cavity of a laser; (b) activating a gain medium within the laser by a pump means and generating a laser beam within the cavity of the laser; and (c) encoding the laser beam with information about at least one of the biological cells present in the analysis region. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. Apparatus for analyzing biological cells comprising:
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(a) a first laser having a resonant optical cavity including a gain medium and an analysis region for containing at least one biological cell to be analyzed; and (b) a second laser for activating the gain medium to generate a laser beam within the resonant optical cavity of the first laser, with the laser beam having information about the biological cell encoded thereupon. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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Specification