Optical tracking and detection of immunomagnetically selected and aligned cells

We have developed a platform for cell analysis based on immunomagnetic sele ction and magnetic alignment of cells in combination with an epi-illuminati on tracking and detection system. Whole blood was labeled with ferromagneti c nanoparticles and fluorescent probes, and placed in a magnetic field in a chamber. Cells labeled with ferromagnetic nanoparticles moved upward and a ligned along ferromagnetic lines deposited by lithographic techniques on an optically transparent surface of the chamber. An epi-illumination system u sing a 635 nm laser diode as a light source scanned the lines and measured signals obtained from the aligned cells. The cell counts per unit of blood volume obtained with the system correlated well with those obtained from th e counts from a standard hematology analyzer and flow cytometer, The cell a nalysis platform is significantly less complex and more sensitive than curr ent cell analysis equipment and provides additional functionality through i ts ability to subject the cells to repeated and varied analyses while they remain in a natural environment (i.e., whole blood).