Detection of sodium and potassium in single human red blood cells by 193-nm laser ablative sampling: A feasibility demonstration

The feasibility of quantifying sodium and potassium in single human erythro cytes was demonstrated by spectrochemical analysis of emissions from plasma s produced by 193-nm laser ablation of blood cells confined in a sheath now . In one scheme, single blood cells that happened to be in the ablation vol ume were sampled. In another scheme, individual blood cells were first sigh ted and then synchronously ablated downstream. Plasma emission spectra of s ingle ablated cells were captured, and the ratios of the analyte line inten sity to the root-mean-square fluctuation of the continuum background were m easured to be about 18 for sodium and 30 for potassium.