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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 7: Poster Session I

BP 7.36: Poster

Montag, 9. März 2026, 15:00–17:00, P5

Enhancing optical parameters of platelets in real-time deformability cytometry — •Tristan Franke, Bob Fregin, Doreen Biedenweg, Lucia Wegbünder, and Oliver Otto — Institute of Physics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany

Real-time deformability cytometry (RT-DC) is a high-speed, label-free cytometric method for imaging and analyzing cell mechanical properties. Cells are flushed through a narrow microfluidic channel and deform by hydrodynamic stresses, while being illuminated by a stroboscopic high-power LED and imaged by a high-speed CMOS camera.

Using RT-DC allows for investigating platelet mechanics, which are key to blood coagulation and may help explain underlying causes of, e.g., coagulopathy and thrombosis. However, with a cell size of only a few micrometers, platelets appear to be difficult to analyze optically, resulting in low image quality, often characterized by motion blurring, low brightness, and a low level of morphological detail.

We investigated the interplay between various parameters, including LED exposure time (brightness), hydrodynamic flow rate, objective magnification, numerical aperture, and camera settings, to identify optimal imaging parameters. To further enhance image quality, we inserted a 2.18x intermediate lens in our inverted microscope setup to increase image magnification, previously not possible to achieve, while preserving the depth of focus. In combination with an extended exposure time of 9.3 μs, and a 2x digital gain our results demonstrate a balance between image brightness and motion blurring while achieving improved contrast and resolution in RT-DC.

Keywords: Optics; Platelets; Image Optimization; Flow Cytometry; Microscopy