Scanning Microscopy of Human Blood and Marrow Smears

Abstract

The scanning electron microscope (SEM) permits direct observation of standard light microscope slide and cover slip preparations. Single cells can be located and identified in the two instruments and the higher resolution, three dimensional image of the SEM can be correlated with the classic cytological information contained in the light microscope image.Samples of peripheral blood and bone marrow were obtained from patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia and polycythemia. A drop of either blood or bone marrow from the syringe used for drawing the specimen was placed on alcohol cleaned, 22 mm square cover glasses. A second cover glass was placed over the drop of blood or marrow and the two cover glasses drawn apart in the manner usual for preparing blood and marrow for examination by light microscopy. These cover slips were rapidly air dried and then stained for examination by light microscopy. The staining procedure consisted of flooding the cover glass with Jenner's stain for 5 minutes, adding distilled water to cover the glass for another 5 minutes and then washing in tap water. Following this a Giemsa stain made up freshly from the stock solution was applied to the cover glass for 10 minutes. The cover glass was then washed and air dried. A thin coating of platinum-paladium was applied in a vacuum evaporator to facilitate electrical conduction.