Device to measure the shape and deformability of organic cells

摘要

A device to measure the shape and deformability of organic cells, especially erythrocytes (red blood cells), comprises a laser beam source (12) and a slot-shaped sample volume (18) in its beam path for accommodating the erythrocytes in a medium. The sample volume (18) is here limited by two transparent walls (22, 24), movable relative to each other, which are arranged at least approximately perpendicular to the laser beam penetrating the sample volume (18). Furthermore, the measuring device comprises a detector (15) for the detection of the diffraction image arising from diffraction of the laser beam in the sample volume (18) and an evaluation device (52, 54, 56, 58) for the diffraction image. The device is characterised in that the surfaces (26, 28) of the walls (22, 24) facing the sample volume (18) are designed as rotation surfaces (26, 28) lying one above the other and curved in the same direction, having a common axis of rotation (A) directed parallel to the laser beam penetrating the walls (22, 24), the concave curved rotation surface (28) having a larger radius of curvature than the convex curved rotation surface (26), and the two rotation surfaces (26, 28) being adjustable relative to each other parallel to their axis of rotation (A). <IMAGE>