Apparatus for high-precision repetitive sequential optical measurement of living cells

A system is described which permits the repetitive spectroscopic measurement of individual cells within a population of many cells, while the location of each cell is preserved during various manipulations of the cells and/or their surrounding medium. The central mechanical feature of the system is the cell carrier, a matrix of apertures in which the cells become trapped. The detector electronics operate in a preset photon counting mode, permitting the measurement of low and high light intensities with the same degree of precision. The present instrument configuration is specifically designed for the accurate and precise measurement of the polarization of fluorescence of probes within living cells for application to routine performance of the Cercek SCM test for cancer. With modifications, the apparatus can be applied to a wide range of other clinical and research tasks.