Systems and methods for analyzing body fluids

1. An automated process comprising

filling an applicator with a sample of body fluid containing one or more cells;

positioning a tip of the applicator above a transparent substrate;

dispensing a known volume of the body fluid sample out of the applicator and while ejection of the body fluid onto the transparent substrate is occurring, maintaining relative movement between the applicator tip and the transparent substrate to lay down the entire known volume of body fluid in two or more rows over a defined area of the transparent substrate, wherein a height of the applicator tip above the transparent substrate, a flow rate of the body fluid out of the applicator tip, and a speed of the relative movement are controlled such that cells in the body fluid settle onto the transparent substrate in a monolayer that is about one cell thick and such that morphology of the cells is sufficiently preserved to enable image-based cell analysis;

illuminating the cells on the transparent substrate with a light source;

capturing at least one image of the illuminated cells;

storing the one or more images in a memory; and

automatically analyzing at least one image of the cells in the memory to determine whether the body fluid sample dispensed onto the substrate is sufficiently dilute or concentrated in a quantity of cells to form the monolayer of cells for analysis, wherein if the analysis indicates that the body fluid sample on the substrate is too concentrated, automatically reducing the concentration of cells by adding diluent to the sample to further dilute the body fluid, and if the analysis indicates that the body fluid sample on the substrate is too dilute, automatically increasing the concentration of cells in the body fluid sample.

2. The process of claim 1 , further comprising automatically determining a count of all cells per microliter of body fluid by analyzing the at least one image of the cells.

3. The process of claim 2 , further comprising displaying on a graphical user interface (GUI) color images of a plurality of the cells based on the at least one image and results of the cell count, wherein the GUI is configured to allow an operator to interact with the color images and sign off on the cell count results.

4. The process of claim 1 , further comprising fixing the cells on the transparent substrate.

5. The process of claim 1 , further comprising staining the cells on the transparent substrate.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein illuminating the cells on the transparent substrate comprises illuminating the cells with a light source that emits light in a first wavelength range of 400 to 700 nm and in a second wavelength range of 470 to 750 nm.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein capturing at least one image of the illuminated cells comprises capturing at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in the first wavelength range and at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in the second wavelength range.

8. The process of claim 1 , further comprising

automatically capturing at least one new image of the illuminated cells after the concentration of cells has been determined and automatically corrected, if required;

storing the one or more new images in the memory;

automatically determining a count of all cells per microliter of body fluid by analyzing the one or more new images of the cells; and

displaying on a graphical user interface (GUI) color images of a plurality of the cells based on the one or more new images, and results of the cell count, wherein the GUI is configured to allow an operator to interact with the color images and sign off on the cell count results.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cells are illuminated with a multispectrum light source.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein one or more images of the illuminated cells are captured with a CCD camera.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein

the applicator tip is positioned less than about 110 microns above the transparent substrate;

the body fluid sample is directed to flow out of the applicator tip at a rate of about 0.04 microliters to about 0.1 microliters per second; and

the applicator tip is moved relative to the slide at speed of about 10 to 100 mm per second.

12. The process of claim 1 , further comprising

storing the sample of body fluid in a first reservoir;

storing diluent in a second reservoir;

mixing the sample of body fluid and the diluent in a mixer to form a diluted body fluid; and

dispensing the diluted body fluid including cells onto the substrate using the applicator tip.

13. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a platform comprising a feeder for storing new substrates;

providing a first station where the applicator dispenses a known volume of the body fluid sample onto the substrates;

providing a second station for staining, fixing, and/or drying cells on the substrates;

providing a third station where the cells on the substrates are illuminated and where at least one image of the cells is captured;

providing a collector for receiving processed substrates; and

moving the substrates through the system starting from the feeder, moving each of the substrates to the first station, the second station, the third station; and then to the collector.

14. The process of claim 7 , further comprising:

refining the images by sharpening or compensating for spatial shifts; and

combining two or more images of the cells when at least two separate wavelengths of light were directed at the slide by the light source to generate multi-color images for a display.

15. The process of claim 1 , further comprising determining spatial, densitometric, colorimetric, and texture features of the cells for classification of a cell type.

16. The process of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the GUI to allow the operator to update the RBC results and WBC differential results.

17. The process of claim 1 , further comprising displaying images of unusual or abnormal cells in the body fluid.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the body fluid sample is undiluted blood.

19. The process of claim 6 , further comprising:

directing the light source to generate light, and using a first filter to filter the generated light to produce first illumination light;

illuminating the transparent substrate with the first illumination light and capturing the at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in the first wavelength range;

directing the light source to generate additional light, and using a second filter to filter the additional light to produce second illumination light; and

illuminating the transparent substrate with the second illumination light and capturing the at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in the second wavelength range.

20. The process of claim 19 , further comprising:

directing the light source to generate additional light, and using a third filter to filter the additional light to produce third illumination light; and

illuminating the transparent substrate with the third illumination light, and capturing at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in a third wavelength range.

21. The process of claim 19 , wherein the first wavelength range is between about 405 nm and 430 nm, and the second wavelength range is centered about 570 nm.

22. The process of claim 20 , wherein the third wavelength range is selected from the range of 400 nm to 700 nm.

23. The process of claim 19 , further comprising:

refining the images by sharpening or compensating for spatial shifts or other distortions; and

combining two or more images of the cells to generate a multi-color image, wherein the combined images comprise at least one image corresponding to the first illumination light, and at least one image corresponding to the second illumination light.

24. The process of claim 6 , wherein the light source comprises multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs), and further comprising:

activating a first LED in the light source to generate first illumination light;

illuminating the transparent substrate with the first illumination light and capturing the at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in the first wavelength range;

activating a second LED in the light source to generate second illumination light; and

illuminating the transparent substrate with the second illumination light and capturing the at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in the second wavelength range.

25. The process of claim 24 , further comprising:

activating a third LED in the light source to generate third illumination light; and

illuminating the transparent substrate with the third illumination light and capturing at least one image of the cells corresponding to light in a third wavelength range.

26. The process of claim 24 , wherein the first wavelength range is between about 405 nm and 430 nm, and the second wavelength range is centered about 570 nm.

27. The process of claim 25 , wherein the third wavelength range is selected from the range of 400 nm to 700 nm.

28. The process of claim 24 , further comprising:

refining the images by sharpening or compensating for spatial shifts or other distortions; and

combining two or more images of the cells to generate a multi-color image, wherein the combined images comprise at least one image corresponding to the first illumination light, and at least one image corresponding to the second illumination light.

29. The process of claim 1 , wherein the body fluid comprises urine, semen, spittle, peripheral blood, bone marrow aspirate, vaginal tissue, epithelial tissue, or a tumor aspirate.

30. The process of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of cells in the body fluid is increased using a concentration device.

31. The process of claim 30 , wherein the concentration device comprises a centrifuge, a filter, or a cell concentration tube.

32. The process of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of cells in the body fluid is increased by adding more body fluid or concentrated body fluid to the sample to further increase the concentration of cells in the body fluid sample.