Leucocyte Classification Reagent Using Cationic Surfactant
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for classifying leucocytes often result in inaccurate classification due to the lack of clear clustering effect between monocytes and other cell types, particularly between lymphocytes and neutrophils.
Innovation Solution
A reagent comprising a cationic or amphoteric surfactant capable of lysing erythrocytes and partly damaging leucocyte membranes, combined with an organic compound having phenyl or heterocyclic groups, and a buffer to adjust pH, is used to enhance the classification of leucocytes into four groups by laser scattering measurements, allowing clear differentiation of monocytes from lymphocytes and neutrophils.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods using nonionic surfactants and ionic surfactants are used to classify leucocytes, then leucocytes can be divided into groups, but monocytes are classified between lymphocytes and neutrophils with poor clustering effect and low classification accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the surfactant from conventional nonionic or anionic types to cationic or amphoteric types. This parameter change in surfactant charge and composition fundamentally alters the interaction with leucocyte membranes, producing clear clustering effects for monocytes and significantly improving classification accuracy into four distinct groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite surfactant systems combining cationic and amphoteric surfactants with specific organic compounds (containing phenyl or heterocyclic groups). This composite approach creates synergistic effects that enhance membrane damage selectivity and clustering, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and reliability in leucocyte classification.
2Reliability
If conventional reagents are used to lyse erythrocytes and classify leucocytes, then classification can be performed, but the clustering effect of monocytes is not obvious resulting in inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent fundamentally changes the surfactant charge parameter from neutral or negative to positive or zwitterionic. This parameter change enables selective interaction with monocyte membranes, producing obvious clustering effects that directly improve both reliability of clustering and measurement precision of classification simultaneously.
3Adaptability or versatility
If two reagents are used to divide leucocytes into five types, then classification can be achieved, but monocytes are misclassified between lymphocytes and neutrophils
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental chemical parameter of the surfactant (charge type) to cationic or amphoteric, which enables single-reagent classification into four groups with high precision. This parameter change eliminates the need for two-reagent systems while improving monocyte classification accuracy by producing distinct clustering patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for the second reagent by incorporating enhanced functionality into a single reagent system. The cationic/amphoteric surfactant combination provides sufficient discrimination power to classify all leucocyte types in one step, removing the source of monocyte misclassification that occurred in two-reagent systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The reagent and method improve the accuracy of leucocyte classification by creating distinct scattered dot areas for monocytes at stable locations, unaffected by nucleus movement, enabling precise differentiation and counting of lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and neutrophils/basophils.
Implementation Method 1
a surfactant capable of lysing erythrocytes and partly damaging cell membrane of leucocytes
Implementation Method 2
classifying leucocytes into four groups by measuring the size and the shape thereof using laser scattering
Data Source
AI summary
A reagent for classifying leucocytes, including: a) at least one of surfactant selected from a cationic surfactant, an amphoteric surfactant, and the combination thereof; b) an organic compound having phenyl or heterocyclic group, wherein when the surfactant is a cationic surfactant, the organic compound is an organic compound having an anionic group; when the surfactant is an amphoteric surfactant or a combination of amphotheric and cationic surfactant, the organic compound is an organic compound having an anionic or cationic group; c) a buffer for adjusting pH.