High-throughput label-free flow cytometry based on matched-filter compressive imaging

Abstract

We present a fast label-free computational flow cytometer based on a strategy of compressive imaging. Scattered light from flowing objects is subdivided into user-defined basis patterns by a deformable mirror and routed to different detectors associated with each pattern. The patterns can be optimized to be matched to the object features of interest, thus facilitating object identification and separation. Compared to conventional scanning flow cytometers, our technique provides increased information capacity without sacrificing flow velocity. Unique features of our matched-filter strategy are that it can simultaneously probe multiple objects throughout large fields of view with long depths of field. In our proof-of-concept demonstrations, we achieve throughputs of over 10,000 particles/s, working at flow velocities of over 1m/s.

Single‐Particle Characterization by Elastic Light Scattering

“…In the simplest version, a stream of liquid or gas containing particles is combined with an external coaxial stream, thereby squeezing the inner stream and causing the particles to line up one after another in the resulting jet (with a sufficient inter‐particle distance to guarantee the single‐scattering regime). The advantage of this approach is the high particle throughput of up to 10 000 particles per second [ 62,63 ] and low spatial restrictions, allowing the efficient collection of the scattering signal from various directions (forward, backward, and side scattering, etc.). In addition, focusing technologies affect the spatial orientation of elongated particles in the flow, [ 64 ] which helps in solving inverse problems (see Section 4).…”