Device and method for in vivo flow cytometry using the detection of photoacoustic waves
AssigneeBioVentures, LLC
InventorVladimir Pavlovich Zharov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A photoacoustic flow cytometry (PAFC) device for the in vivo detection of cells circulating in blood or lymphatic vessels is described. Ultrasound transducers attached to the skin of an organism detect the photoacoustic ultrasound waves emitted by target objects in response to their illumination by at least one pulse of laser energy delivered using at least one wavelength. The wavelengths of the laser light pulse may be varied to optimize the absorption of the laser energy by the target object. Target objects detected by the device may be unlabelled biological cells or cell products, contrast agents, or biological cells labeled with one or more contrast agents.
Claims18
A method of detecting target objects in vessels of a living organism, comprising:
- generating a focused elongated laser beam using a lens or optical fibers as a series of consecutive laser pulses at different wavelengths in the x-ray spectra, visible spectra, terahertz spectra, or microwave spectra ranging between about 400 nm and about 2500 nm, the different wavelengths being generated at a time delay ranging between 0.1 μs and 100 μs, a pulse width ranging between about 0.1 ps and about 1000 ns, a pulse repetition rate ranging between about 1 Hz and about 500,000 Hz, and a pulse energy fluence ranging between about 0.1 mJ/cm2 and about 1000 J/cm2·;
- detecting one or more photoacoustic, fluorescence, and scattering light signals from the target objects with a focused ultrasound transducer and a photodetector at a sample rate ranging between about 10 KHz and about 100 MHZ;
- analyzing the one or more photoacoustic, fluorescence, and scattering light signals to determine presence of the target objects and at least one characteristic of the target objects, wherein the at least one characteristic of the target objects is selected from a type of target object, a quantity of target objects, a concentration of target objects, a flow speed of target objects, a total blood volume, and combination thereof;
- and
- triggering a therapeutic laser pulse of high energy to produce laser-induced photothermal microbubbles operated to destroy the target objects.
A device for detecting target objects in vessels of a living organism, comprising:
- a pulsed laser and an optical module configured to generate a series of consecutive laser pulses at different wavelengths for simultaneous generation of fluorescence, scattering light and photoacoustic signals from the target objects at a laser different wavelengths ranging in the x-ray spectra, visible spectra, terahertz spectra, or microwave spectra ranging between about 400 nm and about 2500 nm, the different wavelengths being generated at a time delay ranging between 0.1 μs and 100 μs, a pulse width ranging between about 0.1 ps and about 1000 ns, a pulse repetition rate ranging between about 1 Hz and about 500,000 Hz, and a pulse energy fluence ranging between about 0.1 mJ/cm2 and about 1000 J/cm2·;
- at least one ultrasound transducer;
- at least one photodetector, wherein the at least one ultrasound transducer and the at least one photodetector are configured to simultaneously receive fluorescence, scattering light and photoacoustic signals from the target objects and generate an output;
- a data recording system;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- analyze one or more of the fluorescence, scattering light, and photoacoustic signals to determine a presence of the target objects and at least one characteristic of the target objects, wherein the at least one characteristic of the target objects is selected from a type of target object, a quantity of target objects, a concentration of target objects, a flow speed of target objects, a total blood volume, and combinations thereof;
- and
- trigger a therapeutic laser pulse of high energy to produce laser-induced photothermal bubbles operated to destroy the target objects.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.