System and method of label-free cytometry based on Brillouin light scattering

1. A method for classifying biological cells, the method comprising:

providing a container having a biological sample including the biological cells in a media;

illuminating the biological sample to generate a Brillouin scattered light from within the biological cells and the media;

measuring a Brillouin scattering spectrum at multiple points within each biological cell;

extracting one or more metrics related to subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells based on the measured Brillouin scattering spectrum; and

classifying the biological cells based on the subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more metrics associated with the Brillouin-scattering spectrum are selected from the group consisting of: Brillouin frequency shift, Brillouin spectrum linewidth, Brillouin gain or loss spectrum, and a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical properties of the sample are selected from the group consisting of: viscoelastic modulus, density, refractive index, electrostriction, and a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of extracting subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells further comprises:

plotting a histogram for a Brillouin frequency shift including each measured point within the biological cells;

applying a linear superposition of Gaussian distributions to fit the histogram;

determining each peak within the histogram, wherein the peaks represent mechanical signatures from different regions within the cells; and

removing data associated with the media from the histogram, wherein the mechanical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells are correlated to the determined mechanical signatures.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of extracting subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells further comprises forming an image and segmenting out parameters based on spatially-based differences in the determined physical signatures.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more Brillouin metrics are used in combination with fluorescence, Raman, forward and side scattering, to create a multi-dimensional histogram to classify biological cells.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is a microfluidic channel of a microfluidic device, the biological cells flowing through the microfluidic channel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biological cells are in suspended conditions, adherent to 2D substrates, or cultured within 3D extracellular matrices.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a bright-field 2D image is acquired simultaneously with the Brillouin light spectral pattern to identify an original location of the Brillouin scattering and to guide the illuminating light beam to a specific location within the microfluidic channel.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Brillouin frequency shift is measured in a point scanning mode or in a multiplexed scanning mode.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracted physical properties refer to analysis of a single biological cell or population of biological cells.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the extracted histogram has two peaks corresponding to cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing a merged image including 2D bright-field and 2D fluorescence cell images with a cell image based on the Brillouin frequency shift to separate a nucleus from a cytoplasm.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising distinguishing modified biological cells from intact biological cells based on subcellular mechanical characteristics of the cells, wherein the cells are modified by drugs targeting subcellular components such as cytoskeleton or nucleus.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the subcellular physical properties are used to sort cells based on their different physical properties.

16. A system for classifying biological cells, the system comprising:

a container having a biological sample including the biological cells in a media;

an illumination source for illuminating the biological sample to generate a Brillouin scattered light from within the biological cells and the media;

a spectrometer for measuring a Brillouin scattering spectrum at multiple points within each biological cell;

a processor in communication with the spectrometer, the processor executing instructions for:

extracting one or more metrics related to subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells based on the measured Brillouin scattering spectrum; and

classifying the biological cells based on the subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more Brillouin metrics associated with the Brillouin-scattering spectrum are selected from the group consisting of: Brillouin frequency shift, Brillouin spectrum linewidth, Brillouin gain or loss spectrum, and a combination thereof.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the physical properties of the sample are selected from the group consisting of: viscoelastic modulus, density, refractive index, electrostriction, and a combination thereof.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions for extracting subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells further comprise instructions for:

plotting a histogram for a Brillouin frequency shift including each measured point within the biological cells;

applying a linear superposition of Gaussian distributions to fit the histogram;

determining each peak within the histogram, wherein the peaks represent mechanical signatures from different regions within the cells; and

removing data associated with the media from the histogram, wherein the mechanical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells are correlated to the determined mechanical signatures.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the instructions for extracting subcellular physical properties at different spatial points within the biological cells further comprise instructions for forming an image and segmenting out parameters based on spatially-based differences in the determined physical signatures.

21. The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more Brillouin metrics are used in combination with fluorescence, Raman, forward and side scattering, to create a multi-dimensional histogram to classify biological cells.

22. The system of claim 16 , wherein the container is a microfluidic channel of a microfluidic device, the biological cells flowing through the microfluidic channel.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the biological cells are in suspended conditions, adherent to 2D substrates, or cultured within 3D extracellular matrices.

24. The system of claim 16 , wherein a bright-field 2D image is acquired simultaneously with the Brillouin light spectral pattern to identify an original location of the Brillouin scattering and to guide the illuminating light beam to a specific location within the microfluidic channel.

25. The system of claim 16 , wherein the Brillouin frequency shift is measured in a point scanning mode or in a multiplexed scanning mode.

26. The system of claim 16 , wherein the extracted physical properties refer to analysis of a single biological cell or population of biological cells.

27. The system of claim 16 , wherein the extracted histogram has two peaks corresponding to cytoplasm and nucleus, respectively.

28. The system of claim 16 , further comprising instructions for comparing a merged image including 2D bright-field and 2D fluorescence cell images with a cell image based on the Brillouin frequency shift to separate a nucleus from a cytoplasm.

29. The system of claim 16 , further comprising instructions for distinguishing modified biological cells from intact biological cells based on subcellular mechanical characteristics of the cells, wherein the cells are modified by drugs targeting subcellular components such as cytoskeleton or nucleus.

30. The system of claim 16 , wherein the subcellular physical properties are used to sort cells based on their different physical properties.