Capillary Imaging for Non-Invasive White Blood Cell Counting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current clinical methods for white blood cell (WBC) counting are invasive, time-consuming, and prone to bias due to ex vivo analysis, which is burdensome for patients and care takers, especially in cases requiring frequent monitoring or emergency conditions.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive system and method for analyzing WBC dynamics using in vivo imaging of capillary beds, employing image processing techniques such as spatiotemporal profiling and Radon transforms to detect and count WBCs from images of nailfold capillaries, enabling real-time or near-real-time monitoring without drawing blood samples.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional ex vivo blood tests are used, then WBC count can be measured, but the procedure is invasive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical blood sampling process with an optical imaging system. Instead of physically drawing blood and analyzing it in a laboratory, the system uses capillaroscopy to capture images of blood flow in capillaries, enabling non-invasive WBC counting that eliminates the time-consuming sample collection and transport process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an optical copy of the blood flow dynamics in capillaries rather than analyzing the actual blood sample. By capturing images of the capillary bed and analyzing the movement and morphology of cells within these images, the system derives WBC count information without requiring physical blood extraction
2Measurement precision
If conventional ex vivo blood tests are used, then WBC count can be measured, but the procedure is burdensome for patients requiring frequent monitoring
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the burdensome mechanical blood sampling procedure with a simple non-invasive imaging process. Patients only need to have their capillary bed imaged, which is much easier and less uncomfortable than repeated blood draws, especially for children and anxious patients
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-monitoring by eliminating the need for clinic visits and professional phlebotomists. The non-invasive imaging can be performed at home or in primary care settings, allowing patients to independently track their WBC counts without requiring frequent trips to specialized laboratories
3Measurement precision
If ex vivo blood tests are used, then WBC count can be derived, but measurement bias occurs due to differences between sample analysis and true physiological properties
Solution Approach 1:
The patent analyzes the actual in vivo capillary blood flow dynamics through optical imaging, creating a direct copy of the physiological state. This eliminates the bias introduced by ex vivo processing, as the measurements reflect true physiological properties rather than artifacts of blood sample handling and laboratory analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the blood flow analysis by focusing on specific capillary structures and their individual cell populations. By analyzing different capillary regions and cell types separately within the imaging data, the system can account for spatial variations and provide more accurate, reliable WBC count measurements that reflect true physiological state
Data Source
AI summary
A system for non-invasive hematological measurements includes a platform to receive a body portion of a user and an imaging device to acquire a set of images of a capillary bed in the body portion. For each image, a controller detects one or more capillaries in the body portion of the finger to identify a first set of capillaries by estimating one or more attributes of each capillary (e.g., structural attributes, flow attributes, imaging attributes, or combinations thereof), wherein at least one attribute of each capillary meets a predetermined criterion. The controller also identifies a second set of capillaries from the first set of capillaries such that each capillary of the second set of capillaries is visible in a predetermined number of images of the set of images.