Research and development
The deformability of red blood cells is an essential property for blood circulation, and loss of this deformability leads to hemolysis (destruction of the red blood cells) and consequent anemia and serious vascular problems. This is a recurring problem that can be found in a wide variety of contexts, for example and by no means exhaustively, in genetic diseases of the red blood cell, with almost 50 million serious cases worldwide, in the engineered red blood cell industry, in the qualification of red blood cells in the context of blood bag storage and blood transfusions, in the development and evaluation of drug side effects, or in the context of medical or biological research (malaria, spleen dysfunction, haematology, diabetes, hypoxia, etc… ). However, the notion of deformability is a complex one, involving several mechanical parameters, and there is currently a lack of technologies and markers sensitive to each of these parameters, enabling rapid measurement of the deformability of large populations of red blood cells.
ICOVELL’s technology competitive advantages
Single-cell measurement – ICOVELL’s technology measures the individual movement of red blood cells in the population. It is sensitive to a low percentage of abnormalities.
Low Measurement bias – Measurements are performed at physiological shear rate conditions.
Simplicity – No complicated setup required.
Bright field visualization – Observation of red blood cells flowing during measurement.