ix ▁system ▁can ▁take ▁in ▁blood ▁samples ▁r anging ▁from ▁ 1 ▁m L ▁to ▁ 4 0 ▁m L . ▁A ▁dispos able ▁micro fl uid ic ▁c ass ette ▁with ▁a ▁ 6 . 5 ▁mic ron ▁high ▁gap ▁allows ▁the ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁red ▁blood ▁cells ▁and ▁white ▁blood ▁cells ▁to ▁pass ▁through , ▁while ▁larger ▁rare ▁cells , ▁including ▁circul ating ▁tum or ▁cells ▁and ▁fo etal ▁cells ▁get ▁caught . ▁Tra pped ▁cells ▁can ▁either ▁be ▁automatically ▁st ained ▁with ▁ant ib od ies ▁for ▁identification ▁or ▁can ▁be ▁released ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁c ass ette . ▁These ▁released ▁/ ▁har v ested ▁cells ▁are ▁alive ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁anal ys ed ▁by ▁down stream ▁cell ular ▁and ▁mole cular ▁techniques , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁cult ured . ▁The ▁fil tr ation ▁c ass ette ▁capt ures ▁a ▁ple th ora ▁of ▁different ▁cancer ▁cell ▁types . ▁ ▁Ep ic ▁Sciences ▁method ▁This ▁method ▁involves ▁technology ▁to ▁separate ▁nucle ated ▁cells ▁from ▁red ▁blood ▁cells , ▁which ▁lack ▁a ▁nucle us . ▁All ▁nucle ated ▁cells , ▁including ▁normal ▁white ▁blood ▁cells ▁and ▁C TC s , ▁are ▁exposed ▁to ▁flu ores cent - tag ged ▁ant ib od ies ▁specific ▁for ▁cancer ▁bi om ark ers . ▁In ▁addition , ▁Ep ic ' s ▁imag ing ▁system ▁capt ures ▁pictures ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁cells ▁on ▁the ▁slide ▁( appro xim ately ▁ 3 ▁million ), ▁records ▁the ▁precise ▁coordinates ▁of ▁each ▁cell , ▁and ▁analy zes ▁each