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Detection of circulating tumor cells using imaging flow cytometry

  • US 8,885,913 B2
  • Filed: 09/27/2013
  • Issued: 11/11/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for detecting cancerous or other types of abnormal cells in a blood sample, comprising:

  • (a) staining the nuclei of cells in the blood sample using a nuclear dye or stain, producing stained cells;

    (b) removing red blood cells from the blood sample, leaving a residual sample comprising primarily white blood cells and a fluid;

    (c) imaging the stained cells to simultaneously produce a plurality of different types of images of each stained cell;

    (d) automatically evaluating the plurality of different types of images to detect features of the images, and based on classifiers previously defined as a function of features selected for distinguishing each of a plurality of different types of white blood cells, automatically identifying a first subset of the stained cells as specific types of white blood cells in the blood sample, where a second subset of cells includes cells that were not identified as being any type of white blood cell; and

    (e) manually reviewing images of the second subset of cells to determine whether any of the cells in the second subset are cancerous or other type of abnormal cell.

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