Spatial-domain low-coherence quantitative phase microscopy

US10156479B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education · US

Inventors

• Yang Liu · Iowa City, US
• Randall E. Brand · Highland Park, US
• Hoa V. Pham · Pittsburgh, US
• Shikhar Fnu · Pittsburgh, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 5, 2014
• Grant date: Dec 18, 2018
• Expiry date: Jun 27, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2015/1479
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Systems, methods and other embodiments associated with spatial-domain Low-coherence Quantitative Phase Microscopy (SL-QPM) are described herein. SL-QPM can detect structural alterations within cell nuclei with nanoscale sensitivity (0.9 nm) (or nuclear nano-morphology) for “nano-pathological diagnosis” of cancer. SL-QPM uses original, unmodified cytology and histology specimens prepared with standard clinical protocols and stains. SL-QPM can easily integrate in existing clinical pathology laboratories. Results quantified the spatial distribution of optical path length or refractive index in individual nuclei with nanoscale sensitivity, which could be applied to studying nuclear nano-morphology as cancer progresses. The nuclear nano-morphology derived from SL-QPM offers significant diagnostic value in clinical care and subcellular mechanistic insights for basic and translational research. Techniques that provide for depth selective investigation of nuclear and other cellular features are disclosed.