Apparatus and method for imaging small objects in a flow stream using optical tomography
US6522775B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 10, 2001 |
| Grant date | Feb 18, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 10, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2223/419
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A flow optical tomography system includes a flow cytometer, and at least one reconstruction cylinder positioned around a capillary tube. A photon source and a photon sensor work together with a pulse height analyzer to provide a first trigger point for the beginning of an object or cell, and a second trigger point for the end of the cell. The trigger signal is received by the reconstruction cylinder. The reconstruction cylinder includes optical point sources having a selectable emission wavelength, disposed in a geometric pattern around the cylinder perpendicular to and concentric with the capillary tube axis that facilitate the acquisition of transmitted, attenuated projection images of the flowing cells. The sensors also collect projections of fluorescence emitted from tagged molecular probes associated with nuclear and/or cytoplasmic structures or cell membranes. The projections are algorithmically processed to provide three dimensional information about the cells and their disease state.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.