Microfluidic cell image acquisition system and use method thereof

Abstract

A microfluidic cell image acquisition system and a use method thereof. An image acquisition mode of a high-speed camera (102) is configured to be an external trigger mode; before a single cell (103) arrives at an observation area of the high-speed camera (102), a detection device (101) first detects that the single cell (103) has arrived at a detection point; then a processor (105) calculates a shooting moment of the high-speed camera (102) for the single cell (103) passing through the detection point, and sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera (102) at the shooting moment; and upon receiving the trigger signal of the processor (105), the high-speed camera (102) shoots an image frame and sends same to the processor (105) instead of performing continuous frame-by-frame shooting, thereby increasing the effective frame ratio and the effective cell acquisition ratio, reducing image redundancy, and improving the working efficiency of the system.

Description

A microfluidic cell image acquisition system and its application method

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411640557.1, filed on November 18, 2024, entitled "A Microfluidic Cell Image Acquisition System and Its Application Method", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of cell image acquisition technology, and in particular to a microfluidic cell image acquisition system and its application method. Background Technology

[0003] Existing microfluidic cell imaging systems consist of a microfluidic chip, a camera, a pump, and an optical system. The microfluidic chip has channels designed for cell observation. Processed cell samples are pumped into these channels and flow continuously at high speed, passing through the observation area. The camera, via the optical system, continuously acquires images of the channels at a specific frame rate, thus observing the morphology of the cells as they flow through the area. However, the image acquisition process is continuous. In each image acquisition cycle, the camera must complete the entire exposure / readout process before the next acquisition begins. Information from each exposure interval cannot be captured. In many cases, the cell flow rate is too high, and each exposure interval is sufficient for the cells to pass through the observation area. If a cell passes through the observation area just as the camera is at the exposure interval, the cell cannot be captured. Therefore, existing methods use high-speed cameras with higher frame rates and shorter exposure intervals to acquire images. However, while this method reduces cell omissions, the high-speed camera continues to acquire images even when no cells are passing through the observation area. This results in many images without cells, leading to a low percentage of effective frames. In addition to wasting storage resources, it is also necessary to select images with cells from the numerous images for data analysis, which affects efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention provides a microfluidic cell image acquisition system and its application method, which solves the technical problems of existing microfluidic cell image acquisition systems that use high-speed cameras with high frame rates to continuously acquire images, resulting in a low effective frame rate, wasted storage resources, and reduced data analysis efficiency.

[0005] In view of this, the first aspect of the present invention provides a microfluidic cell image acquisition system, including a microfluidic chip, a detection device, a high-speed camera, and a processor;

[0006] The detection device and the high-speed camera are respectively connected to the processor;

[0007] The detection device is used to detect whether a single cell passes through a detection point on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip, and the detection point is located behind the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera in the flow direction of the single cell.

[0008] The processor is configured to, when the detection device detects that a single cell has passed through the detection point, calculate the time when the high-speed camera captures the image of the single cell based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera, and send a trigger signal to the high-speed camera at the capture time. The formula for calculating the capture time of the single cell by the processor is as follows:

[0009] Where t2 is the time when the high-speed camera captures the image of the single cell. δ1 is the selectable shooting time range of the high-speed camera, t1 is the time when the single cell begins to pass through the detection point, δ1 is the time from when the single cell begins to pass through the detection point to when it completely passes through the detection point, d1 is the distance between the detection point and the near end of the observation area, d2 is the distance between the detection point and the far end of the observation area, and c1 is the length of the single cell in the flow direction.

[0010] The high-speed camera's image acquisition mode is configured as an external trigger mode. In this mode, when the high-speed camera receives a trigger signal from the processor, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor.

[0011] Optionally, when the cell flow rate in the flow channel of the microfluidic chip meets the following conditions... At that time, the shooting time was At any given time, where v is the cell flow velocity, D is the distance between two adjacent cells, and T is the distance between cells. d The time from the end of capturing one frame of the high-speed camera to the time when the next frame can be captured.

[0012] Optionally, the flow channels of the microfluidic chip are configured to control the cell flow rate to... Where v is the cell flow rate, T d The time from the end of capturing one frame of the high-speed camera to the time when the next frame can be captured.

[0013] Optionally, the processor determines the shooting time based on the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera, when the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera satisfies... When the shooting time is the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera, and the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera satisfies... At that time, the shooting time was At any time in the process, when the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera satisfies At that time, the shooting time was At any time in, where t p This refers to the previous shooting moment of the high-speed camera.

[0014] Optionally, the detection device includes a light source and a photomultiplier tube;

[0015] The photomultiplier tube is used to detect whether the single cell has passed through the detection point based on the light signal at the detection point.

[0016] The light source is used to provide detection light to the photomultiplier tube to detect whether the single cell has passed through the detection point.

[0017] Optionally, the light source includes a laser and optical elements;

[0018] The laser is used to emit laser light;

[0019] The optical element is used to shape the laser emitted by the laser into a linear laser beam, which is perpendicular to the flow direction of the individual cells on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip. It is also used to transmit the linear laser beam received at the detection point to the photomultiplier tube.

[0020] Optionally, it also includes a cell delivery device;

[0021] The cell delivery device is used to deliver a cell sample containing the single cell into the flow channel of the microfluidic chip.

[0022] Optionally, the cell delivery device is a pneumatic pump or an injection pump.

[0023] Optionally, a filter may also be included;

[0024] The filter is positioned between the inlet of the flow channel of the microfluidic chip and the detection point.

[0025] A second aspect of the present invention provides an application method for the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided in the first aspect, comprising:

[0026] Cell samples are fed into the channels of a microfluidic chip;

[0027] The detection device detects whether a single cell passes through the detection point on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip, and feeds the detection result back to the processor in real time.

[0028] When the detection device detects that a single cell has passed through the detection point, the processor calculates the time when the high-speed camera takes a picture of the single cell that has passed through the detection point, based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera.

[0029] The processor sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera at the moment of shooting.

[0030] When the high-speed camera receives the trigger signal, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor.

[0031] As can be seen from the above technical solutions, the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided by the present invention has the following advantages:

[0032] The microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided by this invention configures the high-speed camera's image acquisition mode to an external trigger mode. With the aid of a detection device, a single cell is detected at a detection point in the flow channel of the microfluidic chip before it reaches the camera's observation area. Then, the processor calculates the time when the high-speed camera captures the image of the single cell passing the detection point and sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera at that moment. When the high-speed camera receives the trigger signal, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor, instead of continuously capturing frame by frame. This fully utilizes camera performance, reduces the empty frame rate, increases the effective frame ratio and the effective cell acquisition ratio, reduces image redundancy, and improves system efficiency. It is suitable for scenarios such as low-density cell imaging and flow cytometry observation. This system solves the technical problems of existing microfluidic cell image acquisition systems that use high-frame-rate high-speed cameras to continuously acquire images, resulting in a low effective frame ratio, wasted storage resources, and reduced data analysis efficiency.

[0033] The microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided by this invention offers a formula for calculating the image capture time of a single cell by the high-speed camera based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera, ensuring that the exposure time of the high-speed camera is sufficient to capture an image of a single cell. Furthermore, the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided by this invention requires no modification to the flow channel structure and is highly operable.

[0034] Furthermore, the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided by the present invention determines the time for the high-speed camera to capture a single cell based on the cell flow rate in the flow channel of the microfluidic chip, thus avoiding the situation where the high-speed camera misses capturing cells. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0036] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided in this invention;

[0037] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the overall principle of a microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided in this invention;

[0038] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the application method of a microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided in this invention;

[0039] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0040] 101. Detection device; 102. High-speed camera; 103. Cell; 104. Flow channel; 105. Processor; 106. Cell delivery device; 107. Filter; 108. Laser; A. Detection point; B. Observation area. Detailed Implementation

[0041] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] For ease of understanding, please refer to Figures 1 and 2. This invention provides an embodiment of a microfluidic cell image acquisition system, including a microfluidic chip, a detection device 101, a high-speed camera 102, and a processor 105. The detection device 101 and the high-speed camera 102 are respectively connected to the processor 105. The detection device 101 is used to detect whether a single cell 103 has passed through a detection point on the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip. The detection point is located behind the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera 102 in the flow direction of the single cell 103. When the detection device 101 detects that a single cell 103 has passed through the detection point, the processor 105 is used to calculate the shooting time of the high-speed camera 102 on the single cell 103 based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera 102, and send a trigger signal to the high-speed camera 102 at the shooting time. The image acquisition mode of the high-speed camera 102 is configured as an external trigger mode. In the external trigger mode, when the high-speed camera 102 receives the trigger signal from the processor 105, it captures a frame image and sends the image to the processor 105.

[0043] It should be noted that the microfluidic chip is provided with a flow channel 104 designed for observing individual cells 103. This invention does not limit the fabrication process of the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip, as long as the material used to fabricate the flow channel 104 is transparent. Specifically, this invention uses PDMS-glass bonding to fabricate the flow channel 104. The processed cell sample containing individual cells 103 is fed into the flow channel 104 through the inlet of the flow channel 104 by the cell feeding device 106. Under the design of the flow channel 104, the individual cells 103 entering the flow channel 104 pass through detection point A one by one. As shown in Figure 1, the solid black line represents the flow channel 104, the dots represent the high-speed flowing individual cells 103, the arrows indicate the flow direction of the individual cells 103, point A is the detection point, and the dashed box at point B represents the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera 102. The detection point is located behind the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera 102 in the flow direction of the single cell 103. That is, after entering the flow channel 104, the single cell 103 will first pass through the detection point A and then through the observation area B of the high-speed camera 102. The single cell 103 can be detected by the detection device 101 when it passes through the detection point A. The detection device 101 sends the signal of the single cell 103 passing through the detection point A to the processor 105. When the processor 105 receives the signal of the single cell 103 passing through the detection point A, it calculates the time required for the single cell 103 to travel from the detection point A to the observation area B based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera 102, thereby determining the shooting time of the high-speed camera 102, and sending a trigger signal to the high-speed camera 102 at the shooting time. The image acquisition mode of the high-speed camera 102 is configured as an external trigger mode. In the external trigger mode, the high-speed camera 102 will only capture an image frame when it receives a trigger signal, and will not capture an image if it does not receive a trigger signal. When the high-speed camera 102 receives a trigger signal from the processor 105, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor 105. After capturing a frame, the high-speed camera 102 returns to the waiting-for-trigger state, waiting for the next trigger signal.

[0044] The formula for calculating the shooting time of the high-speed camera 102 based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera 102 ensures that the exposure time of the high-speed camera 102 is sufficient to capture cell images. The formula for calculating the shooting time of the high-speed camera 102 by the processor 105 is as follows:

[0045] Where t2 is the moment when the high-speed camera 102 captures an image of a single cell 103. The selectable shooting time range of the high-speed camera 102 is defined as follows: t1 is the time when a single cell 103 begins to pass through the detection point A; δ1 is the time from when a single cell 103 begins to pass through the detection point A until it completely passes through the detection point A; d1 is the distance between the detection point A and the near end of the observation area; d2 is the distance between the detection point A and the far end of the observation area; and c1 is the length of the single cell 103 in the flow direction. This length can be set to a corresponding constant based on empirical values ​​according to the type of single cell 103.

[0046] The microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided by this invention configures the image acquisition mode of the high-speed camera 102 to an external trigger mode. With the help of the detection device 101, the system detects the arrival of a single cell 103 at detection point A in the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip before the single cell 103 reaches the observation area of ​​the camera. Then, the processor 105 calculates the shooting time of the single cell 103 passing through detection point A by the high-speed camera 102 and sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera 102 at the shooting time. When the high-speed camera 102 receives the trigger signal from the processor 105, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor 105, instead of having the high-speed camera 102 capture frame by frame continuously. This fully utilizes the camera performance, reduces the empty frame rate, increases the effective frame ratio and the effective cell acquisition ratio, reduces image redundancy, and improves the system's working efficiency. It is suitable for scenarios such as low-density cell imaging and flow cytometry observation. It solves the technical problems of existing microfluidic cell image acquisition systems that use a high-frame-rate high-speed camera 102 to continuously acquire images, resulting in a low effective frame ratio, wasted storage resources, and reduced data analysis efficiency.

[0047] Meanwhile, the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided by this invention does not require modification of the flow channel 104 structure and is highly operable.

[0048] The high-speed camera 102's imaging process consists of two time periods: exposure time and readout time. After one exposure, the high-speed camera 102 needs to read out the image and cannot immediately begin the next exposure. If the time interval between two individual cells 103 passing through detection point A is less than the readout time of the high-speed camera 102, it will be difficult for the high-speed camera 102 to capture the image of the next cell after it has captured the image of one cell, resulting in missed cell imaging.

[0049] Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the cell flow rate on the flow channel 104 is controlled to prevent the high-speed camera 102 from missing images of individual cells 103. When the cell flow rate on the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip meets the requirements... At that time, the shooting time t2 of the high-speed camera 102 is At any given moment, the high-speed camera 102 can avoid missing cell image acquisition, where v is the cell flow velocity, D is the distance between two adjacent cells, and T...d The time from the end of capturing one frame of an image by the high-speed camera 102 to the time when the next frame can be captured is the shortest time interval between two exposures of the high-speed camera 102.

[0050] In one embodiment of the present invention, the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip is configured to control the cell flow rate to a certain value. Where v is the cell flow rate, T d The processor 105 determines the time from the end of capturing one frame by the high-speed camera 102 to the time when the next frame can be captured. This time is determined based on the previous capture time t of the high-speed camera 102. p Determine the image capture time t2 of a single cell 103, when the previous image capture time t of the high-speed camera 102 is... p satisfy At that time, the shooting time t2 of a single cell 103 is the previous shooting time t of the high-speed camera 102. p This avoids missing cell image acquisition by the high-speed camera 102; when the high-speed camera 102's previous shooting time t p satisfy At that time, the imaging time t2 of a single cell 103 was... At any given moment, the high-speed camera 102 can avoid missing cell image acquisition; when the high-speed camera 102's previous capture time t p satisfy At that time, the imaging time t2 of a single cell 103 was... This ensures that cell image acquisition by the high-speed camera 102 can be avoided at any time.

[0051] In one embodiment, the detection device 101 includes a light source and a photomultiplier tube (PMT). The PMT is used to detect whether a single cell 103 has passed through the detection point based on the light signal at the detection point. The light source provides detection light to the PMT to detect whether a single cell 103 has passed through the detection point. When a single cell 103 passes through detection point A, the light path entering the PMT is blocked. After the single cell 103 has completely passed through detection point A, the light path entering the PMT is restored. Therefore, the light received by the PMT will first decrease and then increase, and the electrical signal converted by the PMT will show a change of first decreasing and then increasing, thereby determining whether a single cell 103 has passed through the detection point. It should be noted that the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided in this invention is used for image acquisition of single cells 103. The selection of the detection device 101 requires that it not affect the single cell 103. For example, if additional processing is required for the single cell 103, such as fluorescent labeling or encapsulating droplets, and then the fluorescence of the single cell 103 is excited by a fluorescent excitation light source through the detection device 101, such methods will affect the single cell, thereby affecting the physicochemical properties of the single cell 103 and the data quality of the single cell 103. Therefore, the light source of the detection device 101 in this invention can be a bright field light source, a laser, or other light source. For example, a bright field light source (LED light source) can be selected to simultaneously provide the detection light for the photomultiplier tube and the light required for the high-speed camera 102 to capture images, which can achieve low cost. However, considering that the light signal of the bright field light source has relatively weak changes, it will affect the accuracy of cell velocity detection. Therefore, in this invention, the light source includes a laser 108 and optical elements. The laser 108 is used to emit laser light. Optical elements are used to shape the laser emitted by laser 108 into a linear laser beam, perpendicular to the flow direction of individual cells 103 on the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip. The optical elements also transmit the received linear laser beam at the detection point to the photomultiplier tube. The laser emitted by laser 108 uses 488±5nm monochromatic light. Compared to bright-field light sources, lasers have a stronger optical signal, better ensuring the accuracy of cell velocity detection.

[0052] In one embodiment, in the microfluidic cell image acquisition system, the cell delivery device 106 for delivering the cell suspension (i.e., a cell sample containing individual cells 103) into the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip is selected as a pneumatic pump or syringe pump with a pressure of 100 mbar. The high-speed camera has an external trigger mode, and the maximum permissible frame rate can be higher than the estimated cell flow throughput through the flow channel. For example, if the cell throughput is about 1000 Hz controlled by the pump, then the frame rate of the high-speed camera can be set above 1000 Hz. In this embodiment, the high-speed camera 102 can be set to acquire data at an exposure time of 10 μs and a frame rate of 1000 fps. A filter 107 is provided between the inlet of the flow channel 104 of the microfluidic chip and the detection point. The filter 107 can adopt a filter structure with a pore size of 20 μm for filtering the cell fluid. The processor 105 can be composed of a series of integrated circuit systems with communication, data processing and transmission functions, with Arduino or microcontroller as the core. The processor 105 is equipped with a serial port for receiving analog signals from the photomultiplier tube and detecting the time interval between the falling and rising edges of the signal. It starts recording when the falling edge of the photomultiplier tube triggers the camera to take a picture, calculates the trigger time, and sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera 102 to take the picture at that moment.

[0053] To provide a more intuitive demonstration of the working principle of the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided in this invention, a specific application example of the microfluidic cell image acquisition system is provided for illustration. The specific application example of the microfluidic cell image acquisition system provided in this invention is as follows:

[0054] First, preparatory work was carried out. A 6cm culture dish containing 80% adherent HeLa cells was prepared. After trypsin digestion and centrifugation, 6ml of cell suspension was obtained. This suspension was filtered through a 30µm filter, and the supernatant was collected as the cell solution for the experiment. A flow channel 104, fabricated using PDMS-glass bonding, was selected for the experiment. The flow channel 104 must include, but is not limited to, the following structures: an inlet and an outlet, and a straight region 30µm wide and 20µm high. A filter 107 was placed between the inlet and the detection point of the flow channel 104 in the microfluidic chip.

[0055] Then, using a pneumatic pump with a pressure of approximately 100 mbar, the cell suspension is pumped into the inlet of flow channel 104, passes through a straight area, and finally flows out from the outlet. When a single cell 103 in the cell suspension passes the detection point, the detection device 101 detects the presence of a single cell 103 at the detection point and feeds the detection result back to the processor 105 in real time. When the detection device 101 detects the presence of a single cell 103 at the detection point, the processor 105 calculates the shooting time of the high-speed camera 102 based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera 102. The processor 105 sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera 102 at the shooting time. Upon receiving the trigger signal, the high-speed camera 102 captures a frame and sends the image to the processor 105.

[0056] For ease of understanding, please refer to Figure 3. This invention provides an application method for any of the microfluidic cell image acquisition systems provided in this invention, comprising:

[0057] Step S1: Deliver the cell sample into the flow channel of the microfluidic chip.

[0058] Step S2: Detect whether a single cell passes through the detection point on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip using a detection device, and feed the detection result back to the processor in real time.

[0059] Step S3: When the detection device detects a single cell passing through the detection point, the processor calculates the time when the high-speed camera takes a picture of the single cell passing through the detection point based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera.

[0060] Step S4: The processor sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera at the moment of shooting.

[0061] Step S5: When the high-speed camera receives the trigger signal, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor.

[0062] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A microfluidic cell image acquisition system, characterized in that, This includes microfluidic chips, detection devices, high-speed cameras, and processors; The detection device and the high-speed camera are respectively connected to the processor; The detection device is used to detect whether a single cell passes through a detection point on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip, and the detection point is located behind the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera in the flow direction of the single cell. The processor is configured to calculate a shooting time of the high-speed camera on the single cell according to a distance between the detection point and an observation area of the high-speed camera when the detection device detects that the single cell passes through the detection point, and send a trigger signal to the high-speed camera at the shooting time, wherein a calculation formula of the processor for calculating the shooting time of the high-speed camera on the single cell is as follows: t2 is the time at which the high-speed camera takes a picture of the single cell, δ1 is the selectable shooting time range of the high-speed camera, t1 is the time when the single cell begins to pass through the detection point, δ1 is the time from when the single cell begins to pass through the detection point to when it completely passes through the detection point, d1 is the distance between the detection point and the near end of the observation area, d2 is the distance between the detection point and the far end of the observation area, and c1 is the length of the single cell in the flow direction. The high-speed camera's image acquisition mode is configured as an external trigger mode. In this mode, when the high-speed camera receives a trigger signal from the processor, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor.

2. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of claim 1, wherein, When the cell flow rate on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip meets , the shooting moment is any moment in , wherein v is the cell flow rate, D is the interval between two adjacent cells, T d is the time from the end of shooting a frame of image by the high-speed camera to the time when the next frame of image can be shot.

3. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of claim 1, wherein, The flow channel of the microfluidic chip is configured to control a cell flow rate to be wherein v is the cell flow rate, T d is the time from the end of the shooting of a frame of image of the high-speed camera to the shooting of the next frame of image.

4. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of claim 3, wherein, The processor determines the shooting time based on the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera. When the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera satisfies... When the shooting time is the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera, and the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera satisfies... At that time, the shooting time was At any time in the process, when the previous shooting time of the high-speed camera satisfies At that time, the shooting time was At any time in, where t p This refers to the previous shooting moment of the high-speed camera.

5. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of claim 1, wherein, The detection device includes a light source and a photomultiplier tube; The photomultiplier tube is used to detect whether the single cell has passed through the detection point based on the light signal at the detection point. The light source is used to provide detection light to the photomultiplier tube to detect whether the single cell has passed through the detection point.

6. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of claim 5, wherein, The light source includes a laser and optical components; The laser is used to emit laser light; The optical element is used to shape the laser emitted by the laser into a linear laser beam, which is perpendicular to the flow direction of the individual cells on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip. It is also used to transmit the linear laser beam received at the detection point to the photomultiplier tube.

7. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of claim 1, wherein, It also includes cell delivery devices; The cell delivery device is used to deliver a cell sample containing the single cell into the flow channel of the microfluidic chip.

8. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of claim 7, wherein, The cell delivery device is a pneumatic pump or an injection pump.

9. The microfluidic cell image acquisition system of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, It also includes filters; The filter is positioned between the inlet of the flow channel of the microfluidic chip and the detection point.

10. A method of using the microfluidic cell image acquisition system of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, include: Cell samples are fed into the channels of a microfluidic chip; The detection device detects whether a single cell passes through the detection point on the flow channel of the microfluidic chip, and feeds the detection result back to the processor in real time. When the detection device detects that a single cell has passed through the detection point, the processor calculates the time when the high-speed camera takes a picture of the single cell that has passed through the detection point, based on the distance between the detection point and the observation area of ​​the high-speed camera. The processor sends a trigger signal to the high-speed camera at the moment of shooting. When the high-speed camera receives the trigger signal, it captures a frame and sends the image to the processor.

Images