Patent ID: 8159670

Claim:
A lysis-free single dilution method for operating a hematology analyzer, the method comprising: (a) providing a laser rastering apparatus having (i) a source of light, (ii) a flowcell containing a moving sample stream, whereby particles in the sample move with the sample stream, (iii) at least one optical element for focusing light from the source of light onto the particulate material moving with the sample stream in the flowcell, (iv) a scanning device for deflecting the focused light from the source of light to enable the focused light to sweep back-and-forth across the moving sample stream, (v) a cylindrical lens to compensate for optical distortions introduced into the light beam by the action of the scanning device, (vi) at least one detector channel, and (vii) circuitry for processing signals; (b) providing a sample of body fluid; (c) homogenizing the sample of body fluid; (d) extracting a volume of the sample of body fluid; (e) introducing a reagent solution, free of a lysing agent, to the volume extracted to form a mixture; (f) homogenizing the mixture of step (e); and (g) analyzing the resulting homogenized mixture by means of the apparatus.