title: Advances in optical technologies for rare cell detection and characterization.
abstract: Scanning cytometry enables detection of circulating tumor cells without enrichment, minimizing potential loss of sensitivity due to variable expression of enrichment targets; however, some approaches lack specificity without imaging to identify false positives. High fidelity imaging enables identification of CTCs using morphological considerations and semi-quantitative measurement of biomarker expression for predicting targeted therapy but often lacks speed needed for the large number of mononuclear blood cells. A hybrid approach of first scanning a sample at high speed and high numerical aperture to locate CTCs followed by high resolution imaging of a small number of objects reduces the time needed for high resolution imaging without loss of detection sensitivity.
authors.affiliation: Kryptos Medical, Los Altos Hills, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Lou
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruce
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D047569:Laser Scanning Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor