Issue 16, 2023

Real-time fluorescence imaging flow cytometry enabled by motion deblurring and deep learning algorithms

Abstract

Fluorescence imaging flow cytometry (IFC) has been demonstrated as a crucial biomedical technique for analyzing specific cell subpopulations from heterogeneous cellular populations. However, the high-speed flow of fluorescent cells leads to motion blur in cell images, making it challenging to identify cell types from the raw images. In this study, we present a real-time single-cell imaging and classification system based on a fluorescence microscope and deep learning algorithm, which is able to directly identify cell types from motion-blur images. To obtain annotated datasets of blurred images for deep learning model training, we developed a motion deblurring algorithm for the reconstruction of blur-free images. To demonstrate the ability of this system, deblurred images of HeLa cells with various fluorescent labels and HeLa cells at different cell cycle stages were acquired. The trained ResNet achieved a high accuracy of 96.6% for single-cell classification of HeLa cells in three different mitotic stages, with a short processing time of only 2 ms. This technology provides a simple way to realize single-cell fluorescence IFC and real-time cell classification, offering significant potential in various biological and medical applications.

Graphical abstract: Real-time fluorescence imaging flow cytometry enabled by motion deblurring and deep learning algorithms

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Mar 2023
Accepted
07 Jul 2023
First published
10 Jul 2023

Lab Chip, 2023,23, 3615-3627

Real-time fluorescence imaging flow cytometry enabled by motion deblurring and deep learning algorithms

Y. Wang, Z. Huang, X. Wang, F. Yang, X. Yao, T. Pan, B. Li and J. Chu, Lab Chip, 2023, 23, 3615 DOI: 10.1039/D3LC00194F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements