A New Optics-based Quantitative Method for Assessment of RBC Flickering (BIDMC 1049)

Category:    Drug Discovery Tools

KeyWords:  Biomarker;  Screeing Method;  Molecular Imaging;  

BIDMC ID:    1049

Abstract:

The red blood cell (RBC) membrane has a vibratory motion called flickering, the bioenergetic basis of which remains unknown. Investigators at BIDMC have developed a novel optics-based method to quantitatively assess RBC flickering and have demonstrated that the movement exhibits complex patterns that significantly degrade with the in vivo age of the cell.

Inventor:   M. Costa, I. Ghiran, C.K. Peng, A. Nicholson-Weller & A.L. Goldberger

Commercial Opportunity:

(1) As a Screening Tool / Biomarker (2) To test new storage techniques for banked blood on RBC functionality (3) To test the effects of pharmaceutical agents on RBC functionality (4) To monitor the effectiveness of resealed ‘ghost’ RBCs for drug delivery

Competitive Advantages:

(1) Easily used with commercially available microscopes (2) Fast, computer-based analysis (3) Potential for high-throughput screening

Related Publications:

Physical Review E, 78 (2008): 020901

State of Development:

Images of RBCs from time lapse phase contrast and dark field microscopy are   analyzed using algorithms developed to quantify the complexity of the membrane flickering patterns.
Ongoing studies include correlation of the observed flickering complexity maps with RBC structural and functional properties.  

Related Technology URL:

Patent Status:

US Patent Pending

TVO Contact Info:
     Catherine M Lenich
     Senior Associate TVO
     clenich@bidmc.harvard.edu
     Phone: 617-667-0568   Fax: 617-667-0646

     Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
     Technology Ventures Office  Room: BR-0200
     330 Brookline Avenue
     Boston, MA 02215