An assay device (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) for enabling Electro-Magnetic Radiation, EMR, examination of a specimen at at least one predetermined EMR spectrum, the assay device comprising: a) a handheld housing having a housing bottom face, a housing top face opposite said housing bottom face, and a housing peripheral face, said housing having a specimen introduction port in said housing peripheral face for enabling introduction of the specimen thereinto, said housing bottom face having a housing bottom face panel and said housing top face having a housing top face panel in registration with said housing bottom face panel for defining a line of examination through the assay device, said housing bottom face panel and said housing top face panel being transparent to the at least one predetermined EMR spectrum; b) a specimen slide having a specimen slide panel for at least some specimen to be deposited thereon, said specimen slide panel being transparent to the at least one predetermined EMR spectrum and in mutual registration with said housing top face panel and said housing bottom face panel along said line of examination; and c) a specimen slide elevation arrangement for elevating said specimen slide, whereby said specimen slide is adapted to be slidingly elevated with respect to said housing bottom face from an initial lowermost specimen introduction position to a final uppermost specimen examination position correspondingly remote from and adjacent said housing top face subsequent to said at least some specimen being deposited on said specimen slide panel in said initial lowermost specimen introduction position, and whereby said specimen slide panel is adapted to be intimately juxtaposed against said housing top face panel in said final uppermost specimen examination position for compressing said at least some specimen between said specimen slide panel and said housing top face panel. a) a handheld housing having a housing bottom face, a housing top face opposite said housing bottom face, and a housing peripheral face, said housing having a specimen introduction port in said housing peripheral face for enabling introduction of the specimen thereinto, said housing bottom face having a housing bottom face panel and said housing top face having a housing top face panel in registration with said housing bottom face panel for defining a line of examination through the assay device, said housing bottom face panel and said housing top face panel being transparent to the at least one predetermined EMR spectrum; said housing having a specimen introduction port in said housing peripheral face for enabling introduction of the specimen thereinto, said housing bottom face having a housing bottom face panel and said housing top face having a housing top face panel in registration with said housing bottom face panel for defining a line of examination through the assay device, said housing bottom face panel and said housing top face panel being transparent to the at least one predetermined EMR spectrum; b) a specimen slide having a specimen slide panel for at least some specimen to be deposited thereon, said specimen slide panel being transparent to the at least one predetermined EMR spectrum and in mutual registration with said housing top face panel and said housing bottom face panel along said line of examination; and c) a specimen slide elevation arrangement for elevating said specimen slide, whereby said specimen slide is adapted to be slidingly elevated with respect to said housing bottom face from an initial lowermost specimen introduction position to a final uppermost specimen examination position correspondingly remote from and adjacent said housing top face subsequent to said at least some specimen being deposited on said specimen slide panel in said initial lowermost specimen introduction position, and whereby said specimen slide panel is adapted to be intimately juxtaposed against said housing top face panel in said final uppermost specimen examination position for compressing said at least some specimen between said specimen slide panel and said housing top face panel.