Liquid Medium for Digital Holographic Microscopy Cancer Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for diagnosing cancer, particularly cervical cancer, are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to false negatives due to the need for cumbersome sample processing and visualization, which often leads to inadequate interpretation and increased false-negative rates in cytological screenings.
Innovation Solution
A method utilizing Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) to predict the presence of cancerous cells in a liquid sample by obtaining both morphological and biomarker data directly from the raw sample without prior processing, using a specifically developed liquid medium that preserves cell integrity and allows for simultaneous analysis of morphological and biomarker data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional fixation and staining methods are used to visualize cells, then cell morphology can be observed, but cell structures and information are lost leading to false negatives
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by capturing digital images of cells immediately after suspension in liquid medium, before any fixation or staining that would cause information loss. This early capture preserves the native state of cells while still enabling morphological analysis, thereby maintaining diagnostic accuracy while achieving visualization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses digital imaging to create a copy of the cell sample for analysis, rather than requiring physical fixation and staining of the original sample. This copying approach allows multiple analyses of the same sample without degrading the original cell structures, eliminating false negatives caused by inadequate processing.
2Measurement precision
If liquid-based preparation methods are used to improve slide preparation, then sampling error is reduced, but the methods are not applicable for general cytological laboratories due to high cost and technical gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs automated digital imaging and analysis systems that perform sample evaluation without requiring highly trained specialists. The system automatically captures images, processes them through algorithms, and provides diagnostic information, making advanced liquid-based preparation accessible to general cytological laboratories without creating technical or linguistic gaps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical slide preparation procedures with a simplified liquid-based suspension system combined with digital imaging. This substitution eliminates the need for manual smear preparation while maintaining or improving sampling accuracy, and reduces both cost and technical complexity for laboratory implementation.
3Loss of information
If multiple separate tests are performed for morphological analysis and molecular detection, then comprehensive data is obtained, but throughput is reduced unable to accommodate millions of specimens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges morphological analysis and molecular detection into a single integrated liquid-based platform. Both types of analysis are performed on the same cell suspension sample using digital imaging and associated algorithms, eliminating the need for separate aliquots and sequential processing. This consolidation maintains comprehensive data acquisition while dramatically increasing throughput to handle millions of specimens annually.
4Measurement precision
If manual cytological evaluation is performed by trained specialists, then diagnostic interpretation is possible, but the process is time-consuming and prone to inter-observer discrepancy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual evaluation by specialists with an automated digital imaging and analysis system. The system captures high-resolution images of cells in liquid suspension and uses algorithms to objectively assess morphological features, eliminating inter-observer discrepancy and reducing screening time while maintaining or improving diagnostic precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces digital imaging technology as an intermediary between the cell sample and the diagnostic evaluation. This intermediary captures and preserves visual information in a standardized digital format that can be consistently analyzed, removing the variability and time constraints of manual evaluation while preserving diagnostic interpretation capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
The current invention concerns a method for determining the presence of a (pre)cancerous cell in a liquid cell sample, comprising the steps of: —suspending and preserving a cell sample obtained from a subject in a sample vial comprising a liquid medium, said liquid medium comprises means for labeling cells or epitope(s) on or in said cells; —obtaining data from said labelled liquid cell sample; and —determining the presence of said (pre)cancerous cells based on said obtained data; characterized in that said data comprises morphological data and biomarker data. In a further aspect, the invention relates to a liquid medium for fixing, preserving and labeling cells in a cell sample and a sample vial specifically designed to be used in conjunction with the current method.