Laser Blood Scan Could Help Identify Malaria and Other Diseases

sciencehabit writes "Combining lasers with a principle discovered by Alexander Graham Bell over 100 years ago, researchers have developed a new way to collect high-resolution information about the shape of red blood cells. The lasers pulse every 760 nanoseconds to induce red blood cells to emit sound waves with frequencies of more than 100MHz, one of the highest frequencies ever achieved. Testing the laser on blood samples collected from a group of human volunteers, researchers showed that the high-frequency sound waves emitted by red blood cells in the blood samples revealed the tiniest details about the cells' shapes. Because diseases like malaria can alter the shape of the body's cells, the device may provide a way to accurately diagnose various blood disorders before it's too late." Abstract (actual paper is paywalled).

Comments

Interesting

[willthiswork89]

This is great, I wonder how it will compare to traditional methods of testing for these blood disorders, in terms of cost and time. Obviously automated means it can be faster but the people doing these tests don't always have the funds for a device like this.

Re:Interesting

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

This is great, I wonder how it will compare to traditional methods of testing for these blood disorders, in terms of cost and time. Obviously automated means it can be faster but the people doing these tests don't always have the funds for a device like this.

I'd imagine that the big win would be if they could get the whole system implemented in solid-state/MEMS hardware:

At least some blood cell histology requires only relatively primitive instruments and a few not-particularly-esoteric dyes; but it does require a trained examiner and accuracy suffers if you overwork them. Some flavor of color-coded test strips(with suitably crafted antibodies or such) are probably easier to use; but rather less likely to hold up well if stored under lousy conditions for long periods/replaced by counterfeits in dodgier markets, etc.

If this could be implemented entirely in robust electronics, the device would presumably be fairly easy to ruggedize, fairly long lasting, and pretty easy to use, as well as being a suitable basis for a much higher throughput test system for use in better equipped facilities where efficiency is important.

Re: Interesting

[Anonymous Coward]

Part of the diagnosis of malaria involves having a skilled operator perform exhaustive microscopy on the blood film. Having worked as a haematologist I can assure you it is fairly easy to diagnose malaria but a pain in the arse to exclude it. Any test which can improve this process is welcome.

Forget Laser Blood Scan

[Culture20]

I want Laser Blood.

Re:Highest frequency? EDITORS???

[DougOtto]

Read the whole sentence. Sure it's written poorly, but it's talking about the highest frequency ever emitted from a red blood cell.

would be super cool if....

[apcullen]

They could roll this test into a Tricorder http://www.qualcommtricorderxprize.org/competition-details/overview

Re:Sound waves

[Sarten-X]

Pedanticaly, is it the vibration that is "sound" or is it the experience of the listener receiving vibrations that is "sound"? Those "sound waves", without being experienced, are simply vibrations, but is that enough to consider the entire event "making a sound"? As an audio technician, my (crappy) equipment picks up electronic noise on occasion, so it "hears sound" that isn't actually there. Similarly, can a person actually hear an auditory hallucination, which is the experience without the associated vibrations?

Original Article

[Gumpy]

The original article (final proof) is available at the Physics Department of Ryerson University: