Understanding the System Principles
3.3 Dilution
Usually in blood samples, the cells are too close to each other to be identified or counted. For
this reason, the diluent is used to separate the cells so that they are drawn through the
aperture one at a time as well as to create a conductive environment for cell counting.
Moreover, red blood cells usually outnumber white blood cells by 1,000 times. For this reason,
lyse needs to be added to the sample to eliminate the red cells before the WBC counting.
3-3