Sample processing improvements for quantitative microscopy

1. A method comprising:

placing a fluid sample on a surface of a contact optical microscopy sensor, the fluid sample comprising particulate matter that includes an analyte to be measured, the analyte having a distinctive absorption spectrum;

forming a film of the fluid sample between a transparent chamber lid and the surface of the contact optical microscopy sensor by moving the transparent chamber lid to a predetermined distance from the surface of the contact optical microscopy sensor, the distance determined by a spacer, the moving of the transparent lid to the predetermined distance causing the particulate matter of the fluid sample to be compressed into a shape to provide a uniform path length for light passing through the particulate matter;

acquiring one or more images of the fluid sample based on illuminating at least a portion of the film of the fluid sample using light of a predetermined wavelength,

processing the acquired one or more images of the fluid sample; and

determining a mean amount of the analyte based on the processing of the one or more images of the fluid sample by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1 , in which the particulate matter of the fluid sample is compressed into a cylindrical shape.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a magnitude of the predetermined distance is such that lowering of the transparent chamber lid onto the surface of the contact optical microscopy sensor (i) constrains the particulate matter of the fluid sample to lie parallel to the surface of the contact optical microscopy sensor, and (ii) does not result in structural damage to the particulate matter of the fluid sample.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the one or more acquired images comprises:

segmenting one or more regions within the respective acquired images that each contain exactly one particle; and

calculating the mean amount of the analyte based on the segmented one or more regions within the respective acquired images.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the film comprises:

placing the fluid sample on the surface of the contact optical microscopy sensor; and

enabling the fluid sample placed on the surface of a contact optical microscopy sensor to settle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acquired one or more images include at least a statistically significant number of particles in the fluid sample.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined wavelength is based on extinction coefficients of wavelengths within an absorbance band of the analyte.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyte comprises hemoglobin.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fluid sample comprises oxygenated hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin, and the method further comprises converting both types of hemoglobin to a third type of hemoglobin.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising mixing the fluid sample with a diluent to generate a diluted sample.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the diluent comprises a nitrite.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fluid sample comprises blood, and wherein generating a diluted sample comprises mixing the sample of blood with a diluent such that the mixing results in sphering of red bloods cells within the diluted sample.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the fluid sample comprises blood, and wherein the generated diluted sample has at least two of the following properties:

has an isotonicity that is substantially equal to an isotonicity of red blood cells;

has coagulation properties such that the generated diluted sample is less likely to coagulate compared to coagulation properties of red blood cells; and

maintains a predetermined pH level of the generated diluted sample.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mean amount of the analyte is an average mass of hemoglobin per red blood cell in the fluid sample.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining the mean amount of the analyte with a coefficient of variation of less than 1 percent.

16. The method of claim 1 , in which processing the acquired one or more images of the fluid sample comprises performing a calculation based on a measured intensity of the light of the predetermined wavelength at the surface of the contact optical microscopy sensor, the calculation including an assumption that the path length for light passing through the particulate matter is uniform within each pixel of the contact optical microscopy sensor.