Label-free automated neutropenia detection and grading using deep-ultraviolet microscopy

• Authors: Ashkan Ojaghi, Georgia Institute of Technology; Paloma C Costa, Georgia Institute of Technology; Christina Caruso, Emory University; Wilbur Lam, Emory University; Francisco Robles, Emory University
• Journal Title: BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
• Volume: Volume 12, Number 10
• Publisher: Optica Publishing Group | 2021-10-01, Pages 6115-6128
• Type of Work: Article | Final Publisher PDF
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.434465
• Subjects: Engineering, Biomedical
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Physical Sciences; Biochemical Research Methods; Optics; Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; WHITE BLOOD-CELLS; NUCLEIC-ACID; DIFFERENTIATION; LEUKOCYTES; PROTEIN; COSTS

Abstract

Neutropenia is a condition identified by an abnormally low number of neutrophils in the bloodstream and signifies an increased risk of severe infection. Cancer patients are particularly susceptible to this condition, which can be disruptive to their treatment and even life-threatening in severe cases. Thus, it is critical to routinely monitor neutrophil counts in cancer patients. However, the standard of care to assess neutropenia, the complete blood count (CBC), requires expensive and complex equipment, as well as cumbersome procedures, which precludes easy or timely access to critical hematological information, namely neutrophil counts. Here we present a simple, low-cost, fast, and robust technique to detect and grade neutropenia based on label-free multi-spectral deep-UV microscopy. Results show that the developed framework for automated segmentation and classification of live, unstained blood cells in a smear accurately differentiates patients with moderate and severe neutropenia from healthy samples in minutes. This work has significant implications towards the development of a low-cost and easy-to-use point-of-care device for tracking neutrophil counts, which can not only improve the quality of life and treatment-outcomes of many patients but can also be lifesaving.