Acoustic and photoacoustic microscopy of single leukocytes

An acoustic/photoacoustic microscope was used to create micrometer resolution images of stained cells from a blood smear. Pulse echo ultrasound images were made using a 1000 MHz transducer with 1 μm resolution. Photoacoustic images were made using a fiber coupled 532 nm laser, where energy losses through stimulated Raman scattering enabled output wavelengths from 532 nm to 620 nm. The laser was focused onto the sample using a 20x objective, and the laser spot co-aligned with the 1000 MHz transducer opposite the laser. The blood smear was stained with Wright-Giemsa, a common metachromatic dye that differentially stains the cellular components for visual identification. A neutrophil, lymphocyte and a monocyte were imaged using acoustic and photoacoustic microscopy at two different wavelengths, 532 nm and 600 nm. Unique features in each imaging modality enabled identification of the different cell types. This imaging method provides a new way of imaging stained leukocytes, with applications towards identifying and differentiating cell types, and detecting disease at the single cell level.