Method for detecting and quantitating multiple subcellular components
AssigneeIkonisys, Inc.
InventorsMichael Kilpatrick, Triantafyllos Tafas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for detecting and quantitating multiple and unique fluorescent signals from a cell sample is provided. The method combines immunohistochemistry and a fluorescent-labeled in situ hybridization techniques. The method is useful for identifying specific subcellular components of cells such as chromosomes and proteins.
Claims7
A method of operating a computer system to detect whether a genetic condition defined by at least one target nucleic acid is present in a cell sample, the method comprising the steps of:
- imaging a fixed sample having a hybridized fluorophore-labelled probe targeted to nucleic acid and a fluorescent immunostain directed to a non-nucleic acid component of a cell of interest, wherein the fluorescent label of the probe and immunostain are different;
- detecting fluorescence from said sample;
- and
- determining the number of objects of interest displaying fluorescence from said immunostain and said probe, and
- determining from a statistical expectation of such number of cells showing fluorescence from both of said immunostain and said probe whether the genetic condition is present;
- wherein the immunostain binds to fetal hemoglobin.
A method of preparing a sample of maternal blood containing a naturally present concentration of fetal cells, comprising:
- treating said sample with a fluorescent immunostain directed to a non-nucleic acid component of a cell of interest;
- treating said sample with fluorescent nucleic acid probes directed to nucleic acid sequences of interest;
- observing an optical field covering a portion of the cell sample using a computerized microscopic vision system operatively configured to detect fluorescent signals from said fluorescent immunostain and said fluorescent nucleic acid probes;
- and
- identifying cells of interest having nucleic acid sequences of interest by way of said fluorescent signal detection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.