A centrifugation method for standardized sedimentation of mononuclear human blood cells on glass for scanning...

A centrifugation method for depositing cells on cover-glasses for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is described. This centrifugation procedure provides a defined and standardized morphology of mononuclear cells from human blood. The method circumvents the highly variable flattening of some blood cells such as monocytes, observed with some methods. The SEM images show fine morphological surface details indicating a well-preserved cell morphology. The cell recovery of the method is sufficiently high and the lymphocyte-monocyte ratio in centrifugation preparations was found identical to the ratio in control smear preparations.