METHOD, SYSTEM, AND COMPOSITIONS FOR CELL COUNTING AND ANALYSIS

摘要

The present invention provides a low cost imaged-based system for detecti ng, measuring and/or counting labeled features of biological samples, partic ularly blood specimens. In one aspect, the invention includes a system for i maging multiple features of a specimen that includes one or more light sourc es capable of successively generating illumination beams each having a disti nct wavelength band and a plurality of differentially excitable labels capab le of labeling a specimen comprising multiple features, such that each diffe rent feature is labeled with a different differentially excitable label. Sys tem of the invention may further include a controller operationally associat ed with the one or more light sources for successively directing illuminatio n beams onto the specimen so that each of the different differentially excit able labels is successively caused to emit an optical signal within the same wavelength band, an optical system capable of collecting such emitted optic al signals and forming successive images corresponding to the labeled featur es of the specimen on a light-responsive surface to form successive sets of image data thereof, and a disposable cuvette for collection and optical anal ysis of non-red blood cells.