High resolution microscopy of flowing blood cells in vivo


  Adel Zeidan  ,  Lior Golan  ,  Daniela Yeheskely-Hayon  ,  Limor Minai  ,  Eldad J Dann   ,  Dvir Yelin  
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Haifa, 3200003 Israel

Optical microscopy of blood cells in vivo provides a unique opportunity for clinicians and researchers to visualize the morphology and dynamics of circulating cells, but is usually limited by the imaging speed and by the need for exogenous labeling of the cells. Here we present a label-free approach for in vivo flow cytometry of blood using a compact spectrally-encoded imaging probe that could be adapted for bedside real-time imaging of patients in clinical settings, and demonstrate subcellular resolution imaging of red and white blood cells flowing in the oral mucosa of a human volunteer. By analyzing the large data sets obtained by the system, valuable blood parameters could be extracted and used for direct, reliable assessment of patient physiology.