Coulter counter

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The tip of the Coulter counter in a buffer solution, counting cells in solution.
The tip of the Coulter counter in a buffer solution, counting cells in solution.

A Coulter counter is an apparatus for counting and sizing particles and cells. It is used, for example, for bacteria or prokaryotic cells and air quality particle size distributions. The counter detects change in electrical conductance of a small aperture as fluid containing cells is drawn through. Cells, being non-conducting particles, alter the effective cross-section of the conductive channel.

It was an American inventor named Wallace H. Coulter who was responsible for the theory and design of the Coulter Counter. He first devised the theory behind its operation in 1947 while experimenting with electronics. Coulter determined that electrical charge could be used to determine the size and number of microscopic particles in a solution. This phenomenon is now known as the Coulter Principle.

The Coulter Counter is a vital constituent of today's hospital laboratory. Its primary function being the quick and accurate analysis of blood cultures. The Complete Blood Count (Often referred to as CBC) is used to determine the number or proportion of white and red blood cells in the body. Previously, this procedure involved preparing a blood cell stain and manually counting each type of cell under a microscope, a process that typically took a half hour.

Coulter Counters have a wide variety of applications including paint, ceramics, glass, and food manufacture. They are also routinely employed for quality control.

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