title: Development, history, and future of automated cell counters.
abstract: Modern automated hematology instruments use either optical methods (light scatter), impedance-based methods based on the Coulter principle (changes in electrical current induced by blood cells flowing through an electrically charged opening), or a combination of both optical and impedance-based methods. Progressive improvement in these instruments has allowed the enumeration and evaluation of blood cells with great accuracy, precision, and speed at very low cost. Future directions of hematology instrumentation include the addition of new parameters and the development of point-of-care instrumentation. In the future, in-vivo analysis of blood cells may allow noninvasive and near-continuous measurements.
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis Medical Diagnostics, University of California, Davis Health System, 4400 V Street, PATH Building, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Electronic address: ralph.green@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.
authors: Ralph
authors: R
authors: Green
authors: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Biophotonics, University of California, 2700 Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
authors: Sebastian
authors: S
authors: Wachsmann-Hogiu
mesh_terms: D001772:Blood Cell Count / Q000266:history / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D003287:Contrast Media; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Automated cell counter; Blood; Electrical impedance counting; Flow cytometry; Hematology; Hemoglobin; Light scattering; Point of Care