Count your white blood cells
Leukocytes in the blood can be counted at home
ABC MagazineWhite blood cells, or white blood cells, are the "guardians" of our immune system.
As soon as the body is attacked by bacteria or viruses, the number of white blood cells in the blood increases dramatically. Therefore, counting white blood cells in the blood is the simplest and at the same time the most accurate way to track a person's health.
Until recently, leukocyte counts were performed only in laboratories. However, engineers from the California Institute of Technology (California Institute of Technology) in collaboration with the Israeli company LeukoDx have developed a portable device for counting white blood cells, which requires a tiny drop of blood and a couple of minutes of time to work.
You can read more about the device in the April issue of Lab on a Chip (Four-part leukocyte differential count based on sheathless microflow cytometer and fluorescent dye assay).
There are 5 types of white blood cells, and each of them plays a role, so it is important to correctly count the number of each of them. Lymphocytes produce antibodies that attack viruses and bacteria; neutrophils fight bacteria; eosinophils attack parasites and some bacteria; monocytes react to inflammation and serve as "building blocks" for leukocytes; basophils, the rarest species, effectively fights some parasites.
The new device is able to count the number of all 5 types of leukocytes with an accuracy not inferior to a medical laboratory. All this smart system fits in a suitcase with a size of 30x22x12 cm, but in the future the dimensions of the device are planned to be reduced to the size of a palm.
A snapshot from an article in the journal Lab on a Chip – VMThe heart of this device is a transparent silicone tube with a length of 50 microns and a diameter of 28 to 32 microns.
Due to these sizes, white blood cells can pass through the tube only one cell at a time. Blood cells are stained with three specially developed dyes that fluoresce under laser beams. One of the dyes binds only to white blood cells, helping to separate them from red blood cells, and the other two — with certain subtypes of white cells. A blood sample is passed through a silicone tube and enters a tank illuminated by a laser. There, different types of white blood cells glow with different shades of green and red, allowing them to be accurately counted.
According to the lead author of the project, Professor Yu-Chong Tai, the use of the new device is almost limitless. Patients with chronic diseases, such as leukemia and other cancers, will be able to independently monitor the content of white blood cells in the blood. By distributing such devices to residents of remote and rural areas, the doctor will be able to determine from a distance by a blood test whether the patient has a viral or bacterial infection and prescribe treatment. The device is useful even for astronauts to assess the effects of radiation on the body during long flights.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru02.04.2013