Analysis of erythrocyte deformation characteristics based on dual-angle Mueller matrix measurement

Abstract

Red blood cells (RBCs) are vital components of human blood, and their morphological abnormalities serve as reliable indicators of various disease pathophysiologies. As a novel label-free optical technique, Mueller matrix (MM) polarimetry is gaining recognition for its value in disease diagnosis and pathological analysis. In this study, we integrate a dual-angle MM measurement system with single-cell polarized light scattering modeling to establish specific polarization feature parameters (PFPs) characterizing cellular microphysical properties. The PFPs quantitatively describe morphological and optical changes in individual RBCs undergoing complex deformations. Experimental results demonstrate that PFPs can effectively distinguish differences in size, shape, refractive index, and surface spicules between deformed and normal RBCs. Moreover, by incorporating PFPs into a Random Forest classifier, we accurately quantify the proportion of abnormal RBCs in mixed suspensions. This study confirms the capability of polarization measurement for label-free, high-throughput analysis of RBC microphysical properties at the single-cell level.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Polarization / Red blood cell / Cell deformation / Single-cell analysis

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