Patent ID: 7731901

Claim:
A method for enumerating cellular elements within a biologic fluid sample, comprising the steps of: providing a chamber formed between a first planar member that is transparent and a second planar member, which members are separated from one another by a substantially uniform height; introducing an amount of the biologic fluid sample into the chamber sufficient for the sample to extend between the first and second planar members for at least a portion of the chamber, which fluid sample has first cellular elements and second cellular elements; sizing the chamber height such that the chamber height relative to a thickness of the first cellular elements within the sample and a thickness of second elements within the sample, causes the cellular elements to non-uniformly distribute within the chamber; examining substantially all of the sample within the chamber in an unlysed state and enumerating all of at least one of the first and second elements non-uniformly distributed within the chamber; determining the volume of sample contained within the chamber; and determining the number of the at least one of the specific elements per unit volume.