Laser viability method for red blood cell-state monitoring

Abstract

The method for RBC state control is based upon single cell viability control after illumination with laser pulse. Heat shock resulting from absorption of laser energy by a cell is considered as a cell load. This load acts from inside of the cell, is pulsed (10<SUP>-5</SUP>) and can be delivered directly to the chosen cells. The result of each illumination as cell survival or damage is controlled optically by monitoring the cells' response on a pulse through photothermal technique. Under fixed laser parameters the percentage of damaged cells is viability index (VI) for a certain cell population. The testing procedure includes consequential illumination of each cell in population and calculation of VI. Experimental set up is based upon optical microscope. Dual laser thermal lens technique is used for cell illumination and monitoring. For cell loading 5 ns pulses, 400 divided by 600 nm with energies up to 20 (mu) J are generated by tunable dye laser. Cell monitoring is realized with cw He-Ne (632.8 nm) laser and photodetector. All data acquisition routines are automated. Up to 3 cell suspensions can be studied in a multisample chamber designed to secure cells. An amount of cell suspension required is 1 (mu) l. One population test at a fixed wavelength takes 2 divided by 3 min. In experiments with rats, treated with LPS E. Coli injection to stimulate fever and a septic stress we found that variation of RBC viability becomes apparent in 20 - 30 min after injection, while the clinical changes (blood pressure, body temperature, skin temperature) become detectable after 1 hour. The results obtained show that the method can reveal additional properties of the cells most abundant for monitoring and diagnostic tasks.