Patent ID: 8383341
Filing Date: 2013-02-26
Classification: B01L,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for non-invasive pre-natal diagnosis, comprising: a. obtaining a sample of an organic fluid having a high probability of containing fetal nucleated cells from a pregnant woman; b. enriching at least one population of cells in the sample of organic fluid, the at least one population of cells comprising at least one type of fetal nucleated cells; c. marking the fetal nucleated cells with a specific antibody for the fetal nucleated cells capable of discriminating the fetal nucleated cells from maternal cells in the sample of organic fluid; d. marking the fetal nucleated cells of the sample with a marker specific for a cell nucleus, the marker specific for the cell nucleus being distinguishable from the specific antibody, wherein both the specific antibody and the marker specific for a cell nucleus each comprise a fluorescent marker, the fluorescent marker of the specific antibody having emission in a first wavelength, and the fluorescent marker of the marker specific for a cell nucleus having emission in a second wavelength, the first and second wavelengths being different from each other; e. isolating at least one cell from among said at least one type of fetal nucleated cells by individually selecting single cells marked with the specific antibody using a microfluidic device for the selection of single cells, wherein isolating at least one fetal nucleated cell comprises detecting emission of a third wavelength generated by autofluoresences by said cells in said sample of said organic fluid and individually selecting only single cells that emit in the first and second wavelengths but which, at the same time, do not emit in said third wavelength; and f. performing a genetic analysis on said at least one fetal nucleated cell isolated from among said at least one type of nucleated cells in order to highlight at least one genetic characteristic of said at least one fetal nucleated cell suitable for permitting said pre-natal diagnosis.