An apparatus for analyzing a whole blood sample quiescently residing within a chamber and for identifying at least one type of white blood cell within the chamber, comprising: an objective lens; a sample illuminator operable to provide a fluorescent excitation light and one or more transmission lights; an image dissector adapted to receive light fluorescing from the sample and produce signals representative of the light fluorescing from the sample, and to receive light transmitted through the sample and produce signals representative of the light transmitted through the sample; and a programmable analyzer adapted to receive the signals representative of the light fluorescing from the sample and to receive the signals representative of the light transmitted through the sample, and create at least one image of the sample representative of the light fluorescing from the sample and the light transmitted through the sample, and further adapted to quantitatively analyze the at least one image of the sample representative of the light fluorescing from the sample and the light transmitted through the sample to identify white blood cells (WBCs) within the at least one image, and and further adapted to quantitatively analyze at least some of the identified WBCs within the at least one image, including determine one or more quantitative values representative of one or more predetermined quantitatively determinable features, wherein each quantitative value is based on one or more values of light intensity, light color, optical density, area or geometric shape, and compare each quantitative value against a reference value, and identify at least one type of WBC from the identified WBCs using the comparison of each quantitative value against its reference value. an objective lens; a sample illuminator operable to provide a fluorescent excitation light and one or more transmission lights; an image dissector adapted to receive light fluorescing from the sample and produce signals representative of the light fluorescing from the sample, and to receive light transmitted through the sample and produce signals representative of the light transmitted through the sample; and a programmable analyzer adapted to receive the signals representative of the light fluorescing from the sample and to receive the signals representative of the light transmitted through the sample, and create at least one image of the sample representative of the light fluorescing from the sample and the light transmitted through the sample, and further adapted to quantitatively analyze the at least one image of the sample representative of the light fluorescing from the sample and the light transmitted through the sample to identify white blood cells (WBCs) within the at least one image, and and further adapted to quantitatively analyze at least some of the identified WBCs within the at least one image, including determine one or more quantitative values representative of one or more predetermined quantitatively determinable features, wherein each quantitative value is based on one or more values of light intensity, light color, optical density, area or geometric shape, and compare each quantitative value against a reference value, and identify at least one type of WBC from the identified WBCs using the comparison of each quantitative value against its reference value.