Patent ID: 8837803

Claim:
A method for determining a cell volume of a red blood cell within a blood sample, comprising the steps of: depositing the sample into an analysis chamber, the chamber defined by an interior surface of a first panel and an interior surface of a second panel, wherein both panels are transparent, and the chamber has a known or determinable height extending between the interior surfaces of the panels, which height is such that at least one red blood cell subject to an isovolumetric sphering agent assumes a partially compressed spherical shape in contact with the interior surfaces; providing an analysis device having an imaging unit and a programmable analyzer; imaging the at least one partially compressed spherical red blood cell contacting the interior surfaces using the imaging unit, and producing image signals, wherein the sample quiescently resides within the analysis chamber during imaging; using the programmable analyzer to determine a radius r of the partially compressed spherical red blood cell contacting the interior surfaces from the image signals; wherein the determined radius r of the partially compressed spherical red blood cell is algorithmically a function of a first portion r 1 that extends between a center of an inner cylinder portion of the partiallpressed spherical red blood cell and an outer limit of the inner cylinder portion, and a second portion r 2 that extends between the outer limit of the inner cylinder portion and an outer shell portion of the partially compressed spherical red blood cell, which outer shell portion is not in contact with the interior surfaces; and using the programmable analyzer to determine a volume of the imaged red blood cell using the determined radius.