Blood and cell analysis using an imaging flow cytometer
First Claim
1. An imaging system configured to acquire and analyze image data collected from a first and second population of cells, where the image data includes a plurality of images of individual cells that are acquired simultaneously, to enable differences between the first and second populations to be quantified, comprising:
- (a) a collection lens disposed so that light traveling from an individual cell passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path;
(b) a light dispersing element disposed in the collection path so as to disperse the light that has passed through the collection lens into a plurality of light beams, thereby producing dispersed light, such that each light beam has a different spectral content than the other light beams;
(c) an imaging lens disposed to focus the dispersed light, producing focused dispersed light;
(d) a detector disposed to receive the focused dispersed light, such that the focused dispersed light incident on the detector simultaneously comprises a plurality of images of the individual cell, the plurality of images comprising the image data; and
(e) a processor configured to analyze the image data for the plurality of images collected from individual cells in the first and second population of cells, to quantify at least one difference between the first population of cells and the second population of cells.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Multimodal/multispectral images of a population of cells are simultaneously collected. Photometric and/or morphometric features identifiable in the images are used to separate the population of cells into a plurality of subpopulations. Where the population of cells includes diseased cells and healthy cells, the images can be separated into a healthy subpopulation, and a diseased subpopulation. Where the population of cells does not include diseased cells, one or more ratios of different cell types in patients not having a disease condition can be compared to the corresponding ratios in patients having the disease condition, enabling the disease condition to be detected. For example, blood cells can be separated into different types based on their images, and an increase in the number of lymphocytes, a phenomenon associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, can readily be detected.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An imaging system configured to acquire and analyze image data collected from a first and second population of cells, where the image data includes a plurality of images of individual cells that are acquired simultaneously, to enable differences between the first and second populations to be quantified, comprising:
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(a) a collection lens disposed so that light traveling from an individual cell passes through the collection lens and travels along a collection path; (b) a light dispersing element disposed in the collection path so as to disperse the light that has passed through the collection lens into a plurality of light beams, thereby producing dispersed light, such that each light beam has a different spectral content than the other light beams; (c) an imaging lens disposed to focus the dispersed light, producing focused dispersed light; (d) a detector disposed to receive the focused dispersed light, such that the focused dispersed light incident on the detector simultaneously comprises a plurality of images of the individual cell, the plurality of images comprising the image data; and (e) a processor configured to analyze the image data for the plurality of images collected from individual cells in the first and second population of cells, to quantify at least one difference between the first population of cells and the second population of cells. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for detecting at least one difference between a first and second population of cells using image data, where the image data include a plurality of images of individual cells that are acquired simultaneously, comprising the steps of:
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(a) imaging the first population of cells and the second population of cells to collect image data, such that a plurality of images for each cell are simultaneously collected, the plurality of images comprising multispectral images; and (b) analyzing the image data collected to identify at least one difference between the first and second population of cells. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification