Steps in Viewing Blood Smears Using Bright Field Microscopes

Today, bright field microscopes are currently being widely utilized in the field of healthcare. Primarily, it is the device that is used for viewing blood smears. Bright field microscopes are perfect for this type of a job. Learn how to do it through the article below.

Bright field microscopes are the best tools for viewing blood smears. This is because this type of a microscope is capable of magnifying this type of sample into a range that is visible to the naked eye. Blood smears are also ideally viewed against a white background more than anything else. In hospitals, the examination of a blood smear of a patient is performed so that a lot of information about the condition of the patient can be learned.

Blood smears can tell a whether the white blood cells of the patients are disproportionate with the red blood cells. Through it, the presence of immature leukocytes can also be detected. These in turn, can be used as an indication to know whether the patient is suffering from a rather serious disease or not. The patient’s platelet count can also be determined with blood smears and it is also possible to find out whether his or her red blood cells are misshapen or not. Viewing blood smear with bright field microscopes can discover all of these and a whole range of others.

Here are the steps on how you can properly view a blood smear with a regular bright field microscope:

1. Use a very clean slide and place a drop of blood on it
It is important that the slide to be used is free from contaminants. The presence of small elements on the slide would only cause the examination to be inaccurate. They may also go in the way of the blood, making it totally unfit for any type of examination.

2. Hold a second slide in an angle on top of the slide where the drop of blood is.
Ideally, the second slide should be in a forty-five degree angle to the main slide. It has to keep contact with the bottom at all times. Now move the inclined slide towards the drop of blood without losing contact to the bottom slide. Once it touches the drop of blood, the blood should spread out evenly to the edges through capillary action.

3. Move the inclined slide towards the center of the bottom slide in one firm motion.
Doing this step would now smear the blood to the rest of the slide. It is important that you do this while maintaining firm contact with the bottom slide. That will ensure that the blood sample is smeared evenly.

4. Wait for the blood to dry.
Don’t put the specimen under the microscope just yet. You are supposed to let it dry for some time. Only after that it becomes partly fit for viewing. You only have to do one last step prior to viewing.

5. Stain the blood.
Proper staining of the blood is required so that its contents and elements can properly be seen under a microscope. Choose the right type of a stain. For starters, you can apply liberal amounts of Wright’s stain. Apply the stain with the use of a Pasteur pipet. Always avoid contact with any chemical you use for dyeing, as most of these dyes are toxic. Let the stain stand on the sample for two minutes.

6. Put the specimen on the microscope’s stage.
Provide for a cover slip. Use the stage’s slide holder if it has any. If the bright field microscope is equipped with a mechanical stage, then all you have to do is to adjust it accordingly. Otherwise, you have to manually position the slide in the right position for optimum viewing.

7. Optimize lighting.
Bright field microscopes need adequate lighting for it to work properly. If the bright field microscope you have is equipped with a built-in lighting system, all you have to do is to turn it on and adjust its contrast as necessary. Otherwise, you have to setup an external light source and point it to the specimen. Do the same if the bright field microscope merely uses a mirror for lighting purposes.

8. Focus on the specimen.
At this point, you should be calibrating the microscope so you can properly view the specimen. Adjust the focus, contrast, and brightness of the sample with the corresponding knobs positioned on the microscope. If you have done all these steps right, you should be able to make an accurate observation of the blood smear you have for a sample.

These are the eight steps you have to do when viewing blood smears with a bright field microscope. Just perform these steps and you won’t go wrong. If you are an aspiring medical student, then you can practice inspecting blood samples by merely doing these things.