Computerized detection of laryngopharyngeal reflux

A method of determining a presence of laryngopharyngeal reflux, comprising the steps of:

• examining a slide comprising a laryngeal cellular sample with a microscope combined with an image acquisition system;
• acquiring images of cells in said laryngeal cellular sample;
• analyzing said images of said cells with an image recognition system to detect at least first mobile cell type and a second mobile cell type;
• counting individual cells of each of said first mobile cell type and said second mobile cell type;
• calculating a total number of mobile cells on said slide;
• generating a first percentage value, said first percentage value corresponding to a percentage of said first mobile cell type out of said total number of mobile cells;
• generating a second percentage value, said second percentage value corresponding to a percentage of said second mobile cell type out of said total number of mobile cells;
• comparing said first percentage value to a first expected value and comparing said second percentage value to said to a second expected percentage value;
• and
• generating a score based on said comparisons, said score indicating a likelihood of inflammation.

A method of determining a presence of laryngopharyngeal reflux, comprising the steps of:

• examining a slide comprising a laryngeal cellular sample with a microscope combined with an image acquisition system;
• acquiring images of cells in said laryngeal cellular sample;
• analyzing said images of said cells with an image recognition system to detect at least a first mobile cell type and a second mobile cell type;
• analyzing said images of said cells with an image recognition system to detect at least two epithelial cell types;
• counting individual cells of said first mobile cell type and said second mobile cell type;
• counting individual cells of said first epithelial cell type and said second epithelial cell type cell type;
• calculating a total number of mobile cells on said slide;
• calculating a total number of epithelial cells on said slide;
• generating a first percentage value, said first percentage value corresponding to a percentage of said first mobile cell type out of said total number of mobile cells;
• generating a second percentage value, said second percentage value corresponding to a percentage of said first epithelial cell type out of said total number of epithelial cells;
• comparing said first percentage value to a first expected value and comparing said second percentage value to said to a second expected percentage value;
• and
• generating a score based on said comparisons, said score indicating a likelihood of inflammation.