| abstract |
The invention provides a single dilution method and system for identifying, analyzing and quantifying the cellular components of whole blood using a single channel of an automated hematology analyzer utilizing flow cytometry and the detection of the light scattered and absorbed by each cell. The method involves the use of an organic dye in the reagent solution for staining the nucleic acid of reticulocytes, including reticulated platelets, and white blood cells in the sample. The single channel method is particularly useful for determining white blood cell counts and assessing parameters of a whole blood sample, for blood samples from both human and non-human mammals. The apparatus for performing the method provides an economical, streamlined and space-saving analyzer for carrying out complete blood cell analysis on a mammalian whole blood sample. |