Method for imaging biologic fluid samples using a predetermined distribution

A method for imaging a biologic fluid sample, comprising the steps of:

• providing a chamber for holding the biologic fluid sample, which chamber is spatially mapped to divide the chamber into a plurality of sub-regions;
• disposing the biologic fluid sample within the chamber;
• providing a predetermined repeatable non-uniform spatial distribution of one or more constituents within the sample disposed within the chamber, wherein the distribution indicates the presence or absence of a statistically significant number of at least one of the constituents within the sample in each sub-region of the chamber;
• selecting one or more image techniques for each chamber sub-region based on the presence or absence of the statistically significant number of one or more constituents in that sub-region as indicated by the distribution;
• and
• creating image data representative of the biologic fluid sample in select chamber sub-regions, using the one or more image techniques selected for each of the select chamber sub-regions.

An apparatus for imaging a biologic fluid sample, comprising:

• a chamber operable to hold the biologic fluid sample, which chamber is spatially mapped to divide the chamber into a plurality of sub-regions;
• a sample illuminator;
• at least one image dissector operable to produce image signals representative of the sample residing within the chamber;
• and
• a processor adapted to include a predetermined repeatable non-uniform spatial distribution of one or more constituents within the sample disposed within the chamber, wherein the distribution indicates the presence or absence of a statistically significant number of at least one of the constituents within the sample in each sub-region of the chamber, and adapted to select one or more image techniques for each chamber sub-region based on the presence or absence of the statistically significant number of one or more constituents in that sub-region as indicated by the distribution, and adapted to communicate with the sample illuminator and the image dissector to create image data representative of the biologic fluid sample in select chamber sub-regions, using the one or more image techniques selected for each of the select chamber sub-regions.