Patent ID: 9084995
Filing Date: 2015-07-21
Classification: B01L,G01N,G02B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of enumerating the cellular or particulate constituents of a sample of whole, anticoagulated blood, comprising the steps of: providing an apparatus for analyzing a blood sample that includes a first planar member, a second planar member, wherein at least one of the first planar member and second planar member is transparent, and at least three separators disposed between the planar members, each separator individually having a height and the separators collectively having a mean height, separating the planar members to form a chamber having a height extending between the planar members, wherein at least one of the first planar member, second planar member, or separators is sufficiently deformable to cause the mean chamber height to be substantially equal to the mean height of the separators; depositing a quantity of the blood sample into contact with at least one of the first planar member and second planar member surface; approximating the planar members to form a film of the blood sample confined between the two planar members as separated by the separators; calculating the chamber height by measuring the average attenuation of light transmitted through the separators; determining the volume of blood sample contained within the film; directly or indirectly enumerating all constituents of interest within substantially the all of the film; and expressing the enumerated constituents as a count per unit volume.