Our long term objective is to design and develop a prototype instrument for automated reticulocyte counting and erythrocyte maturation determination, based on the latest technology in image cytometry, to increase the sensitivity, accuracy, and reliability of bone marrow activity assessments. Evaluation of bone marrow activity has more recently become important in clinical and research medicine as shown by the marked increase in the number of treatments which require reticular site counts, including marrow transplantation, and cancer treatment. The Specific Aims for Phase I will provide proof of the concept, the feasibility and the design parameter of such an instrument. It will also document the feasibility of sample preparation techniques and software algorithms capable of automatically evaluating red blood cell production and maturation based on cellular monolayer slide film analysis. The Specific Aims have been selected with the long term goal of implementing the Phase I results into the prototype instrument in Phase II. The instrument would be capable of assaying erythropoietic activity and would be aimed at increasing the accuracy and reliability as well as decreasing costs of reticulocyte counts as compared to currently used techniques (both manual and flow cytometry).National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
