Automated detection of neutropenia using non‐invasive video microscopy of superficial capillaries

Cancer patients undergoing cytotoxic chemotherapy are at elevated risk of developing serious infections.1 The risk of developing these infections increases when white blood cell (WBC) counts, particularly the absolute neutrophil counts (ANC), are reduced. This reduction in neutrophil counts, the most abundant white-blood-cell subtype, is referred to as neutropenia, with these infection episodes termed febrile neutropenia (FN). Patients have a high risk of developing FN during sustained severe neutropenia1 (ANC < 500/μL), which is a common side effect of cytotoxic chemotherapies. FN occurs frequently, currently in approximately one in six of all chemotherapy patients,2 and it is associated with a high rate of mortality,3 where 11% of patients die after one or several hospitalizations.4,5 In the United States alone, the associated cost due to such hospitalizations accounts for $2.7B dollars annually,2 contributing to up to 40% of the total cost of cancer treatments.