Introduction
The hemocytometer (or haemocytometer) is a counting-chamber device originally designed and usually used for counting blood cells[1]. MUHWA hemocytometer is made of high quality thick glass. Each counter is divided into two equal counting pools by H-shaped grooves. A supporting column is arranged on both sides of the counting pool, and a special coverslip designed for the counting chamber is covered on it to form a counting pool with a height of 0.10 mm. The counting pool is drawn with a 3.0mm long and wide square, divided into 9 large squares. The area of each large square is 1.0mm2., and its volume is 0.1mm3 (ul). Among 9 large squares, the central square is divided into 25 middle squares with double lines. Five middle squares in the middle and corners are red blood cell counts, divided into 16 squares with a single line. The four squares in the four corners are the other animal cell count areas, divided into 16 squares with a single line.
Materials
MUHWA Hemocytometer; A Special Coverslip; Cell Suspension; Microscope
Steps:
1. To use the hemocytometer, first make sure that the special coverslip provided with the counting chamber is properly positioned on the surface of the counting chamber.
2. Add cell suspension into one of counting pool ( the cell suspension is applied to the edge of the coverslip to be sucked into the void by capillary action), Until the chamber is filled with the sample.
3. Count cell number with a microscope. Visually distinguishable cells can be differentially counted.
4. Calculate the density of cells in the sample. It is the number of cells in the chamber divided by the chamber's volume, taking account of any dilutions:
Concentration of cells in original suspension=number of cells counted* Diluted times/Proportion of chamber counted*volume of squares counted.
[1]. Absher, Marlene (1973). "Hemocytometer Counting": 395–397. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-427150-0.50098-X.
