Photoacoustic remote sensing microscopy and meta-LASE microscopy for visualizing virtual histology, circulating tumor cells, and tissue energetics

The detection and quantification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in a patient's bloodstream is a promising minimally invasive avenue for improving cancer diagnostics and prognostics. However, clinical utilization of CTC-based diagnostics has been limited due to the arduous nature of currently employed CTC detection strategies which largely involve tedious staining and purification procedures. We report the use of photoacoustic remote sensing microscopy to enable the label-free visualization of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for the purpose of categorizes white blood cell populations and identifying putative circulating tumor cells present in the blood stream. Image analysis of cellular characteristics is performed, and identification of cell phenotype is validated by comparison to histological staining.