In vivo flow cytometry system and method
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorCharles Lin
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Abstract
The present invention provides methods and systems for performing in vivo flow cytometry. In one embodiments, selected circulating cells of interest of a subject are labeled with fluorescent probe molecules. The labeled cells are irradiated in vivo so as to excite the fluorescent probes, and the radiation emitted by the excited probes is detected, preferably confocally. The detected radiation is then analyzed to derive desired information, such as relative cell count, of the cells of interest.
Claims58
A method of performing in vivo cytometry, comprising
- labeling one or more cells of a subject with one or more fluorescent probe molecules while said cells circulates in said subject, said cells being of a selected type,
- illuminating said labeled cells in vivo with radiation having one or more wavelengths suitable for exciting said fluorescent probe molecules,
- detecting fluorescence radiation emitted by said marker molecules in response to said excitation, and
- analyzing said detected fluorescence radiation so as to derive information regarding circulating cells of said type.
A method for real-time quantification of circulating cells in a live subject, comprising
- administering to said subject a plurality of fluorescent probe molecules capable of attaching to circulating cells of a selected type,
- illuminating at least a portion of a blood vessel of the subject with radiation capable of exciting said fluorescent probe molecules flowing through said vessel portion,
- confocally detecting fluorescence originating from one or more of said excited probe molecules flowing through said vessel portion, and
- analyzing said detected fluorescence to identify fluorescent signals emitted by probe molecules coupled to said circulating cells.
A system for performing in vivo cytometry in a live subject, comprising
- a source for generating radiation having one or more wavelength components suitable for exciting selected fluorescent probe molecules capable of binding to circulating cells of a selected type of said subject upon introduction into the subject's circulatory system,
- an optical system for imaging radiation received from said source onto a focal plane in which a portion of a vessel of said subject can be positioned so as to be illuminated by said imaged radiation, said illuminating radiation exciting one or more of said molecules flowing through said vessel portion,
- a detector confocally detecting fluorescence radiation emitted by said excited marker molecules, and
- an analysis module coupled to said detector for analyzing said fluorescence radiation so as to derive information regarding said circulating cells.
A method of performing in vivo flow cytometry, comprising:
- labeling ex vivo a plurality of cells of a selected type extracted from a subject with fluorescent probe molecules of a type capable of coupling to said cells,
- introducing said labeled cells into the subject's circulatory system,
- illuminating said labeled cells in vivo with radiation having one or more wavelengths suitable for exciting said fluorescent probe molecules,
- detecting fluorescence radiation emitted by said probe molecules in response to said excitation, and
- analyzing said detected fluorescence radiation so as to derive information regarding circulating cells of said type.
A method of performing in vivo flow cytometry, comprising:
- expressing a fluorescent protein in a cell type of a subject,
- illuminating one or more cells of said cell type in vivo with radiation having one or more wavelengths suitable for exciting said fluorescent protein,
- detecting fluorescence radiation emitted by the fluorescent protein of said illuminated cells in response to said excitation, and
- analyzing said detected fluorescence radiation so as to derive information regarding circulating cells of said type.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.