Quantitative microscopy and nanoscopy of sickle red blood cells performed by wide field digital interferometry.

TitleQuantitative microscopy and nanoscopy of sickle red blood cells performed by wide field digital interferometry.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2011
AuthorsNT Shaked, LL Satterwhite, MJ Telen, GA Truskey, and A Wax
JournalJ Biomed Opt
Volume16
Issue3
Start Page030506
Pagination030506 -
Date Published03/2011
Abstract

We have applied wide-field digital interferometry (WFDI) to examine the morphology and dynamics of live red blood cells (RBCs) from individuals who suffer from sickle cell anemia (SCA), a genetic disorder that affects the structure and mechanical properties of RBCs. WFDI is a noncontact, label-free optical microscopy approach that can yield quantitative thickness profiles of RBCs and measurements of their membrane fluctuations at the nanometer scale reflecting their stiffness. We find that RBCs from individuals with SCA are significantly stiffer than those from a healthy control. Moreover, we show that the technique is sensitive enough to distinguish classes of RBCs in SCA, including sickle RBCs with apparently normal morphology, compared to the stiffer crescent-shaped sickle RBCs. We expect that this approach will be useful for diagnosis of SCA and for determining efficacy of therapeutic agents.

DOI10.1117/1.3556717
Short TitleJ Biomed Opt