Differentiation of morphotic elements in human blood using optical coherence tomography and a microfluidic setup

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Cellular Imaging
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a powerful imaging technique.
• Distinguishing between different blood cell types is crucial for diagnostics.
• Existing methods may face limitations in practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel optical method for differentiating erythrocytes and leukocytes.
• To leverage amplitude and phase information from OCT signals.
• To enable practical and robust cell detection using epi-illumination.

Main Methods:

• Utilized phase-sensitive OCT signals to measure phase modulation from flowing microobjects.
• Employed a novel approach using the backscattered signal from a substrate beneath the cells.
• Developed a custom microfluidic device with a highly scattering polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) substrate.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated detection and differentiation between erythrocytes and leukocytes.
• Phase-sensitive OCT signals provided key information for cell identification.
• Statistical parameters of the OCT signal correlated with cell features like size, shape, and internal structure.

Conclusions:

• The developed OCT method offers a novel approach for blood cell differentiation.
• The use of a scattering substrate in an epi-illumination setup enhances practicality.
• This technique shows potential for various diagnostic and research applications.