Patent ID: RE43979

Claim:
A method for detecting and quantitating a specific living target cell in a cell suspension of a mixed cell population at a sensitivity of one target cell per 100 or more total cells, in a fluid system containing a mixed cell population, or in a single-cell suspension prepared from a solid tissue, with the exception of normal and malignant hematopoietic cells in blood and bone marrow, the method comprising the steps of: a. coating paramagnetic particles or beads with an antibody or antibody fragment directed against a membrane structure specifically expressed on the target-cell and not on a non-target-cell in the cell mixture; b. mixing the coated paramagnetic particles or beads with the cell suspension containing the target-cells; c. incubating the mixture under gentle rotation; d. examining the target-cells after incubation; and e. counting the target-cells after incubation.