Abstract: Provided are methods for determining and analyzing photometric and morphogenic features of small objects, such as cells to, for example, identify different cell states. In particularly, methods are provided for identifying apoptotic cells, and for distinguishing between cells undergoing apoptosis versus necrosis.

Abstract: Multimodal/multispectral images of a population of cells are simultaneously collected. Photometric and/or morphometric features identifiable in the images are used to separate the population of cells into a plurality of subpopulations. Where the population of cells includes diseased cells and healthy cells, the images can be separated into a healthy subpopulation, and a diseased subpopulation. Where the population of cells does not include diseased cells, one or more ratios of different cell types in patients not having a disease condition can be compared to the corresponding ratios in patients having the disease condition, enabling the disease condition to be detected. For example, blood cells can be separated into different types based on their images, and an increase in the number of lymphocytes, a phenomenon associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, can readily be detected.