Patent ID: 11921020
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF IOWA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B  C | IPC B  C  G

Claim 15:
16. Method for detecting cancerous cells in a mammalian subject, the method comprising:
obtaining a cell sample from the subject, the cell sample comprising cancerous cells and normal cells;
forming a fluid preparation comprising the cancerous cells, the normal cells and extracellular calcium,
applying an initial pulse of fluid shear stress to the preparation, wherein the initial pulse of fluid shear stress induces a fluid shear stress resistance in the cancerous cells such that the magnitude of shear stress required to kill the viable cancerous cells is greater than the magnitude of shear stress required to kill the viable normal cells;
subsequently applying one or more additional pulses of fluid shear stress to the preparation comprising the fluid shear stress-resistant viable cancerous cells, said fluid shear stress sufficient to selectively kill the viable normal cells relative to the viable cancerous cells, whereby the ratio of viable cancerous cells to viable normal cells in the preparation is increased; and
subsequently measuring the concentration of viable cancerous cells in the preparation.