System and Method for Analyzing Samples Labeled with 5, 10, 15, 20 Tetrakis (4-Carboxyphenyl) Porphine (TCPP)

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides for a method of determining if a sputum sample contains dysplastic or carcinomic cells by obtaining a sputum sample containing cells. The sputum sample is labeled with TCPP to stain cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic. The labeled sputum sample is excited with an excitation wavelength of light of about 475 nm +/−30 nm and emission at about 560 nm +/−30 nm is detected from cells identified to be macrophages. An imager focuses on the plasma membrane of one or more cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic and emission at about 655 nm +/−30 nm, if present, is detected for TCPP labeled cells of the sputum sample after focusing on the plasma membrane of the cells of the sputum sample. Photon flux for each pixel of a sensor is measured to obtain a value for the imaged cell. The measured value is scored to determine if a cell is cancerous or dysplastic.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of determining if a sputum sample contains dysplastic or carcinomic cells the method comprising:
 obtaining a sputum sample containing cells;   labeling the sputum sample with TCPP to stain cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic;   exciting the labeled sputum sample with an excitation wavelength of light of about 475 nm +/−30 nm;   detecting within the sputum sample emission at about 560 nm +/−30nm from cells identified to be macrophages;   focusing an imager on the plasma member of one or more cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic;   detecting emission at about 655 nm +/−30 nm if present for TCPP labeled cells of the sputum sample after focusing on the plasma membrane of the cells of the sputum sample;   measuring photon flux for each pixel of a sensor to obtain a value for the imaged cell; and   scoring measured value to determine if a cell is cancerous or dysplastic.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the TCPP is Meso Tetra (4-Carboxyphenyl) Porphine. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the excitation wavelength is about 475 nm +/−5 nm. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein emission of macrophages is about 560 nm +/−5 nm. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the imager is a fluorescent microscope. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the emission of TCPP labeled cells is about 655 nm +/−5 nm. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sensor is a CCD camera. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the scoring further comprises comparing the measured value to a database of stored values for cancerous, dysplastic and non-cancerous cells to assigning a score based upon the results of the comparison. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the sputum sample is from a human. 
     
     
         10 . A computer readable medium for enabling a computer to characterize a sputum sample, the computer readable medium comprising software instructions for enabling the computer to perform predetermined operations of the following steps:
 exciting a sputum sample labeled with TCPP with an excitation wavelength of light of about 475 nm +/−30 nm;   detecting within the labeled sputum sample emission at about 560 nm +/−30nm from cells identified to be macrophages;   focusing an imager on the plasma membrane of one or more cells suspected to be dysplastic or carcinomic;   detecting emission at about 655 nm +/−30 nm if present for TCPP labeled cells of the sputum sample after focusing on the plasma membrane of the cells of the sputum sample;   measuring photon flux for each pixel of a sensor to obtain a value for the imaged cell; and   scoring measured value to determine if a cell is cancerous or dysplastic.