Evaluation of an automated hematology system (Technicon H-1)

We evaluated the Technicon H-1 hematology system, a new third-generation blood cell analyzer that performs a complete blood cell count, including red blood cell (RBC) morphometric studies and a full white blood cell differential count. Linearity and precision were acceptable over the entire clinical range. We compared the H-1 with the Technicon H-6000 and the Coulter S Plus IV. Close correlation was observed for all equivalent parameters except the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), the mean platelet volume, and the basophil count. Poor correlation for the MCHC reflects the novel methodology of the H-1 for measuring RBC size and, independently, RBC hemoglobin content. The H-1 MCHC correlates with hypochromia as assessed morphologically, while the MCHC of the H-6000 or S Plus IV does not. Further technological innovations include measurement of the mean neutrophil peroxidase content and nuclear lobularity.