FLOW CELL FOR URINALYSIS DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

摘要

A flow cell for examining specimen fluid flowing within sheath fluid. A housing (6) defines a hollow fluid passage (4) that includes a geometric focusing (4b) portion in which the fluid passage (4) narrows in height and an examination area (4c). A cannula (2) injects specimen fluid into the fluid passage (4) as a stream of the specimen fluid with an initial velocity. The sheath fluid flows through the fluid passage (4), having a first velocity as it passes the point the specimen fluid is injected. The initial velocity is less than the first velocity, which focuses down the height of the specimen fluid stream via linear flow rate focusing. The narrowing geometric focusing portion (4b) of the fluid passage (4) also focuses down the height of the specimen fluid stream via geometric focusing (4b). A microscope (22) and camera (24) capture images of the focussed down specimen fluid stream passing through the examination area (4b).