[Study of Cervical Exfoliated Cell's DNA Quantitative Analysis Based on Multi-Spectral Imaging Technology]

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cytopathology
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• Conventional cervical cancer screening relies on The Bethesda System (TBS) classification and DNA quantitative analysis.
• Simultaneously applying both methods on a single slide using multiple staining techniques is challenging due to potential absorbance interference from non-DNA materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for simultaneously performing TBS classification and cellular DNA quantitative analysis on a single cervical cell slide.
• To overcome the interference of non-DNA material absorbance in multiple staining techniques for accurate DNA quantification.

Main Methods:

• A multi-spectral imaging system was developed to capture absorbance data.
• An absorbance unmixing model using multiple linear regression was established to isolate DNA absorbance.
• The model was validated by comparing calculated DNA absorbance with measured values and analyzing DNA index confidence intervals.

Main Results:

• The absorbance unmixing model demonstrated no statistically significant difference (p < 0.01) between calculated and measured DNA absorbance.
• Actual application showed no overlap between the DNA index confidence interval of tetraploid cells and the cancer cell judging interval (99% confidence level).

Conclusions:

• The developed method accurately quantifies DNA in multiple-stained cervical cells, verifying the feasibility of combining TBS and DNA analysis.
• This approach offers a promising tool for the early diagnosis of cervical cancer and potentially other cancers, with significant market potential.