2 Blood testing

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Counting grids
The types of counting chambers differ in counting grids and the depths of the
chambers. Orthogonal lines form grids which become visible by magnifying
them with a microscope. The grid of a counting chamber is engraved into the
surface of its base.

Neubauer-improved

The Neubauer-improved counting chamber has become the most popular one.

Its standard depth is 0.1 mm. The grid consists of 3 x 3 large squares with
areas of 1 mm² each. The large square in the center is subdivided into
5 x 5 group squares with edges of 0.2 mm length each. These group squares
are again subdivided into sixteen small squares of an area of each 0.05 mm
x 0.05 mm = 0.0025 mm².

The lines limiting the large squares and the group squares are threefold with
the central line as the actual dimension lines. The inner and outer auxiliary lines
facilitate counting. They assist determining whether cells near or on the bor-
der lines are to be counted as within the area or omitted as outside of the
counting area.

As the counting chamber comes with squares of different sizes it can be

used for counting different types of cells. E.g. leucocytes are counted in the
4 large squares at the corners of the grid and for counting erythrocytes at least
5 group squares are normally used.

Neubauer-improved with dark lines

Dark line:
The grids of counting chambers with
dark lines are engraved into the glass
surface of the base of the chamber.
When looking through a microscope
these lines appear to be dark.

0.005 0.2 0.25 0.005 0.2 0.05

0.005 0.2 0.25 0.005 0.2 0.05
1 mm
0.005 1 mm
1 mm0.2 1 mm0.25 0.005 10.2 0.05
1 mm 1 mm
1 mm mm

1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm

Depth = 0.1 mm □ mm x mm / 1 □ mm² / 1 □ mm³ = µl

Total net ruling 1 3x3 9 0.9

Large squares per grid 9 1x1 1 0.1
Group squares per large square 25 0.2 x 0.2 0.04 0.004
Small squares per group square 16 0.05 x 0.05 0.0025 0.00025

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HL

Neubauer improved
Neubauer improved HL
HL

Neubauer- improved with bright lines

Bright line:
The grids of counting chambers with
bright lines are engraved into a thin,
vapour-deposited metal film. The bright
lines contrast well with the darker, me-
tallic background which facilitates the
evaluation.

0,005 0,2 0,25 0,005 0,2

0.005 0.2 0.25 0.005 0.2
1 mm
0.005 1 mm 1 mm
1 mm 0.2 1 mm 0.25 1 mm 0.005 10.2
1 mm
mm

1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm

Depth = 0.1 mm □ mm x mm / 1 □ mm² / 1 □ mm³ = µl

Total net ruling 1 3x3 9 0.9

Large squares per grid 9 1x1 1 0.1
Group squares per large square 25 0.2 x 0.2 0.04 0.004
Neubauer Small squares per group square 16 0.05 x 0.05 0.0025 0.00025

Neubauer

Neubauer

The depth of the Neubauer chamber is

0.1 mm.

Its net ruling covers 3 mm x 3 mm in

total and consists of 9 large squares of
1 mm each side length.

The central large square is subdivided

in 4 x 4 group squares of 0.2 x 0.2 mm².
Triple lines in a distance of 0.025 mm
separate the group squares from each
other. Each group square is subdivided
in 16 small squares of 0.05 mm side
0,25
0.25 0,025 0.05
0.025 0,05 1 mm 0,2
0.2 0,05 0.025
0.05 0,025 length.
0.25 0.025 0.05 3 mm 1 mm 0.2 1 mm0.05 0.025

3 mm 1 mm

Depth = 0.1 mm □ mm x mm / 1 □ mm² / 1 □ mm³ = µl

Total net ruling 1 3x3 9 0.9

Large squares per grid 9 1x1 1 0.1
Group squares per large square 16 0.2 x 0.2 0.04 0.004
Small squares per group square 16 0.05 x 0.05 0.0025 0.00025

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Bürker

Buerker

The depth of the Buerker counting

chamber is 0.1 mm. Its counting grid co-
vers 9 mm² and is subdivided by triple
lines into 9 large squares. The distances
between the middle lines are 1 mm.

Each of these large squares is subdi-

vided into 16 small squares by double
lines with 0.05 mm between them. The
inner lines of these small squares form
areas of 0.2 x 0.2 mm².
The crossings of the double lines form
small squares of 0.05 x 0.05 mm². These
squares are suitable for counting throm- 0,2
0.2 0,025
0.025 0,05
0.05 0,2
0.2 0,05
0.05 0,025
0.025
bocytes and erythrocytes. 0.2 1
1 mm
0.025mm 1
1 mm
mm 0.05 11 mm
mm 0.2 10.05
1 mm
mm 0.025

1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm

Depth = 0.1 mm □ mm x mm / 1 □ mm² / 1 □ mm³ = µl

Total net ruling 1 3x3 9 0.9

Large squares per grid Bürker Türk 9 1x1 1 0.1
Small squares per Large square 16 0.2 x 0.2 0.04 0.004
Bürker Türk

Buerker-Tuerk

The depth of the Buerker-Tuerk cham-

ber is 0.1 mm. The counting grid covers
9 mm² and is subdivided by triple lines
into 9 large squares.

Each of these large squares is subdi-

vided into 16 small squares by double
lines with 0.05 mm between them. The
inner lines of these small squares form
areas of 0.2 x 0.2 mm².

Additionally to the Buerker chamber

the 16 small square of the central lar-
ge square are subdivided again into 0,2
0.2 0,025
0.025 0,05
0.05 0,025
0.025 0,025
0.025 0,2
0.2 0,05
0.05
16 squares with 0.05 mm length of the 0.2 1
1 mm
0.025
mm 1
1 mm
0.05mm 1 mm
1 0.025
mm 0.025 1
1 mm
mm 0.2 0.05
edge and an area of 0.0025 mm².
1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm

Depth = 0.1 mm □ mm x mm / 1 □ mm² / 1 □ mm³ = µl

Total net ruling 1 3x3 9 0.9

Large squares per grid 9 1x1 1 0.1
Small squares per large square 16 0.2 x 0.2 0.04 0.004
Smallest squares per small square 16 0.05 x 0.05 0.0025 0.00025

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 Fuchs-Rosenthal

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Blood testing 2

Fuchs-Rosenthal

The depth of the Fuchs-Rosenthal

counting chamber is 0.2 mm. In total
the grid covers 16 mm² and contains
16 large squares of 1 mm length of
the edge each. These large squares
are separated by triple lines with
0.01 mm between each other. The dis-
tance between the center lines is 1 mm.
All 16 large squares are subdivided into
16 small squares of a side length of
0.25 mm.

Due to the large counting grid and

0.025
0,025 0.25
0,25 0.25
0,25
a depth of 0.2 mm the total volume
0.025 1 mm 10.25
mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 0.25 amounts to 3.2 µl. This counting cham-
ber is, therefore, preferably used for
1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm
counting cell suspensions with relatively
few cells, e.g. cerebro-spinal fluid.

Depth = 0.2 mm □ mm x mm / 1 □ mm² / 1 □ mm³ = µl

Total net ruling 1 4x4 16 3.2

Thoma neu Large squares per grid 16 1x1 1 0.2
Small squares per large square 16 0.25 x 0.25 0.0625 0.0125

Thoma neu
Thoma new

The depth of the Thoma new counting

chamber is 0.1 mm. The grid covers an
area of 1.1 x 1.1 mm². It is subdivided
in 16 group squares with a side length
0.1

of 0.2 mm.
0.2
0.1
0.2

1.1 mm

These group squares have a distance of

1.1 mm

0.1 mm to the adjacent group squares.

0.05
0.05

They are subdivided into 16 small squares.

0.05 0.1
0.05
0.2
1 mm
0.05 1.10.1
mm
0.05
0.2

1.1 mm 1 mm

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Thoma

The depth of the Thoma counting cham-

ber is 0.1 mm The grid covers an area
of 1 x 1 mm².

It is subdivided into group squares with

a side length of 0.2 mm (like the Neu-
bauer system).

The group squares are subdivided into

16 small squares of an area of 0.05 mm
x 0.05 mm = 0.0025 mm².

0,05
0.05 0,25 0.025
0.25 0,025 0,025
0.025 0,05
0.05
0.05 0.25 10.025
mm
0.025 1 mm
0.05
1 mm

1 mm 1 mm

Nageotte

The depth of the Nageotte counting

chamber is 0.5 mm.

0.25
The square area of 100 mm² is divided
0.02

into 40 rectangles each with an area

of 0.25 x 10 = 2.5 mm². This counting
10 mm
chamber is mainly used for counting
0.01

cells in cerebro-spinal fluid or for count-

5 mm

ing nematodes.

10 mm

Malassez

The depth of the Malassez counting

chamber is 0.2 mm The counting grid
0.25

covers 2 x 2.5 mm². The large rec-

0.25

tangles have an area of 0.25 x 0.20 =

0.05 mm². Each of them is subdivided
into 20 small squares with an area of
0.05
2.5 mm

0.05
2.5 mm

0.25 mm
0.25 mm

each 0.05 mm x 0.05 mm = 0.0025 mm².

This counting chamber is used for coun-

0.25

0.05
0.25

0.05

ting cells in liquor (cerebro-spinal fluid)

and for counting nematodes for example.

0.2 0.2 0.2 0.05

2 mm 0.6
0.2 0.2 0.2 0.05

2 mm 0.6

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