Design of an embedded sensor system for measuring laser scattering on blood cells

In this paper, a sensor system architecture for laboratory and in-vivo light scattering studies on blood cells is presented. It aims at correlating Mie scattering to compositional and physiological information of blood cells towards a non-invasive blood-cell counting sensor. An overview of previously reported experimental techniques on light scattering from blood cells is presented. State-of-the-art methods such as differential pulse measurements, vessel pressure optimization identified as promising for enhancing the scattering signal in such measurements. Indicative simulations of Mie scattering by blood cells are presented, illustrating the potential for distinguishing among cells and identifying size distribution. A prototype sensor system based on a 640-660 nm laser light source and a photo diode array is implemented and programmed to obtain mean amplitude and scattering angle measurements