LETI develops lens-free, point-of-care system for diagnosing spinal meningitis

Presentation at Photonics West Outlines New Microscope Technology that Provides Accurate Results without Time-Consuming, Manual Cell Counting

SAN FRANCISCO – Jan. 30, 2018 – Leti, a research institute at CEA Tech, has invented a lens-free microscope technology that provides point-of-care diagnosis for spinal meningitis. Outlined in a paper presented at Photonics West, the new technology provides immediate results and eliminates errors in counting white blood cells (leukocytes) in cerebrospinal fluid, which is required to diagnose the infection.

Spinal meningitis is an acute inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, which can be fatal within 24 hours. Until now, early diagnosis of the infection required an operator using an optical microscope to manually count white blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid.

“Until now, this process has been operator dependent, which limits where it can be used and increases the likelihood of errors in counting blood cells,” said Sophie NhuAn Morel, a co-author of the paper. “In our study, manual counts produced different results among five doctors.”

The bulky equipment and intensive human involvement, which can take 5-20 minutes to make a proper cell counting, make the traditional procedure unsuited for point-of-care diagnosis. As a result, meningitis cannot be diagnosed in emergencies or operating rooms, or during routine medical care in developing countries.

Reported in a paper titled “Lens-free Microscopy of Cerebrospinal Fluid for the Laboratory Diagnosis of Meningitis”, Leti’s lens-free, operator-free technology requires fewer than 10 microliters of cerebrospinal fluid to differentiate between white blood cells (leukocytes) and red blood cells (erythrocytes) in a point-of-care environment, using very small equipment.

“Leti’s lens-free technology can count leukocytes and erythrocytes almost in real-time and can be used in many different environments outside the lab,” Morel said.

The lens-free microscope was tested on 200 patients at Marseille Timone Hospital in France to detect or confirm spinal meningitis. A blind lens-free microscopic analysis of 116 cerebrospinal fluid specimens, including six cases of microbiologically confirmed infectious meningitis, yielded a 100 percent sensitivity and a 79 percent specificity. Adapted lens-free microscopy is thus emerging as an operator-independent technique for rapidly counting leukocytes and erythrocytes in cerebrospinal fluid. In particular, this technique is well suited to the rapid diagnosis of meningitis at point-of-care labs.

In the near future, the reconstruction of both the magnitude and phase images from the raw diffraction pattern will allow the classification and numeration of all the blood cells in less than two minutes.

About Leti
Leti, a technology research institute at CEA Tech, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies enabling smart, energy-efficient and secure solutions for industry. Founded in 1967, Leti pioneers micro-& nanotechnologies, tailoring differentiating applicative solutions for global companies, SMEs and startups. Leti tackles critical challenges in healthcare, energy and digital migration. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, Leti’s multidisciplinary teams deliver solid expertise, leveraging world-class pre-industrialization facilities. With a staff of more than 1,900, a portfolio of 2,700 patents, 91,500 sq. ft. of cleanroom space and a clear IP policy, the institute is based in Grenoble, France, and has offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo. Leti has launched 60 startups and is a member of the Carnot Institutes network. Follow us on www.leti-cea.com and @CEA_Leti.

CEA Tech is the technology research branch of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), a key player in innovative R&D, defence & security, nuclear energy, technological research for industry and fundamental science, identified by Thomson Reuters as the second most innovative research organization in the world. CEA Tech leverages a unique innovation-driven culture and unrivalled expertise to develop and disseminate new technologies for industry, helping to create high-end products and provide a competitive edge.

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