Instruments
RBC ( Red Blood Cell) Pipette
• RBC pipette has red bead in the bulb and it has marking of 0.5, 1 and 101
• Other uses of RBC pipette - used wherever higher dilution is required e.g -
High total leukocyte count and total sperm count
• Diluting fluid used for RBC count - Hayem’s fluid, Dacie’s fluid
• Dilution used in RBC pipette - 1:200
• Role of red bead in RBC pipette –
1) Helps in identification of pipette
2) Helps in mixing of diluting fluid and blood
3) To ensure dryness of pipette: Free mobility indicates a dry pipette
WBC ( White Blood Cell) Pipette
• WBC pipette has white bead in the bulb and it has marking of 0.5, 1
and 11.
• Dilution used in WBC pipette - 1:20
• Diluting fluid used for WBC count - Turk’s fluid
• Composition of Turks fluid and mention their role?
Glacial acetic acid – lyse the RBC
1% Gentian violet- stain the WBC nuclei
• Other uses of WBC pipette - used for eosinophil count, platelet count,
sperm count. Cell count in CSF, pleural / ascitic fluid and RBC count in
severe anemia
Urinometer
• Used to calculate specific gravity
• This method is based on the principle of buoyancy (i.e. the ability of a
fluid to exert an upward thrust on a body placed in it)
• solute concentration is high, upthrust of solution increases and
urinometer is pushed up (high SG)
• solute concentration is low, urinometer sinks further into the urine (low
SG)
• Density of urine increases at low temperature and decreases at higher
temperature
• Normal SG of urine is 1.003 to 1.030
Improved Neubauer chamber
• Central large square is divided into 25 squares, each of which is
further subdivided into 16 small squares
• Group of 16 small squares is separated by closely ruled triple lines
• 4 large corner squares are used for counting leukocytes, while the
central large square is used for counting platelets and red blood cells
Sahli’s pipette
• Marked upto 20 microlitre or 0.02 ml
• No bulb
• Used in haemoglobin estimation
Sahli ‘ s comparator
• Rectangular plastic box with a slot in the middle which accommodates
a hemoglobin tube
• Brown standard glasses are provided on either side of the slot for
color matching.
• White opaque glass is present at the back to provide uniform
illumination.
Sahli’s graduated hemoglobin
tube
• Graduated in one side in gram percentage (g%) from 2 to 24,
• On the other side in percentage (%) from 20 to 140.
• The tube is also called Sahli-Adams tube.
WINTROBE TUBE
• This is a tube of 110 mm long and with an internal bore diameter of 3mm
• The tube is closed at one end.
• This tube is graduated on both sides from 0-10 in ascending and descending
order
• The tube holds approximately 1 ml of blood
• Uses are
[Link] of Packed cell volume (PCV)
[Link] of Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
[Link] of Buffy coat smear. This smear is used to determine LE cell
phenomenon and to study the abnormal cells in cases of aleukemic
leukemia
Cover slip
• Thin, flat pieces of transparent material (usually glass or plastic) used
in microscopy to cover specimens mounted on microscope slides
• Primary purpose is to protect the specimen and microscope optics
while also ensuring a flat, even surface for optimal viewing.
L-mould
• "L-mould" refers to a reusable metal mold, typically made of brass,
used in histology for creating paraffin wax blocks for tissue sectioning
• Molds are L-shaped and can be adjusted to form different sized
rectangular molds for embedding tissue samples in paraffin wax
before they are cut into thin sections for microscopic examination
Cassettes
• Small, rectangular / circular containers, often made of plastic / steel ,
used to hold tissue samples during processing and embedding for
microscopic examination
• Play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the tissue and
ensuring proper processing for diagnosis
Lumbar Puncture Needle
• Specialized medical instrument used in lumbar punctures (spinal taps)
to access the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the spinal cord
• Lumbar puncture can help diagnose serious infections, such as
meningitis
• Can help diagnose other diseases of the central nervous system, such
as Guillain-Barre syndrome and multiple sclerosis
Salah Bone marrow aspiration
needle
• Parts of the needle – Trocar ,Cannula
Adjustable side guard: This is important part, which helps in adjusting the
depth of penetration of the needle
• common indications of the bone marrow aspiration
a. Red cell disorders : megaloblastic anemia, Pure red cell aplasia
b. WBC disorders: leukemia and subleukemic leukemias,
c. Platelet disorders: Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpuras
d. Myeloproliferative disorders and myelodysplatic syndroms
e. Storage disorders like Gauchers disease and Neimannpick disorders
f. In evaluation of fever of unknown origin.
g. Assessment of iron stores can also be done
h. Any suspicion of metastasis
Glass slide
• Thin flat piece of glass typically 75 by 26 mm (3 by 1 inches) and
about 1 mm thick