This document lists and describes various specimens and instruments used in pathology. It includes descriptions of pipettes used for blood counts, needles for bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, a urinometer, hematocrit tube, and needles for lumbar puncture and liver biopsy. Tissue processing instruments like cassettes, L-moulds, and paraffin blocks are also outlined.

1. Specimens and Instruments
Department of pathology
Andhra Medical College

2. List of instruments
1. Wintrobe’s tube
2. Wstergren’s pipette
3. RBC pipette
4. WBC pipette
5. Hemoglobinometer
6. Neubaur chamber
7. LP Needle
8. Bone marrow aspiration needle
9. Liver biopsy needle
10. Urinometer
11. Graduated conical centrifuge
tube
12. Tissue cassette
13. Paraffin wax block
14. L-mould

3. WBC PIPETTE
• This is a bulb pipette having a long stem
with a capillary bore and a pointed tip.
• The bulb contains a white bead inside.
• A small rubber tube provided with a mouth
piece is connected to the small narrow
portion, above the bulb for sucking blood
and fluid into the pipette.
• The pipette has three markings on in it, 0.5
mark in the middle of the stem, 1 mark at
the junction between stem and bulb, and
11 mark above the bulb.

4. WBC PIPETTE
• The total volume of the pipette is 11 parts, of
which one part is in the stem and 10 parts in the
bulb.
• The column of diluting fluid contained in the
stem of the pipette does not enter into the
dilution (i.e. 11-1 = 10), so that the blood sucked
upto 0.5 mark will have a dilution of 0.5 in 10 or
1 in 20.
• Other uses of WBC pipette:
• 1. Cell count in C.S.F. 2. Sperm count
• 3. Absolute Eosnophil count 4. R.B.C. count in
severe anaemia

5. RBC PIPETTE
• This is a bulb pipette having a long stem with a capillary
bore and a pointed tip.
• The bulb contains a red bead inside.
• A small rubber tube provided with a mouth piece is
connected to the small narrow portion above the bulb
for sucking blood and fluid into the pipette.
• The pipette has three markings on in it, 0.5 mark in the
middle of the stem, 1 mark at the junction between
stem and bulb, and 101 mark above the bulb.
• The total volume of the pipette is 101 parts, of which
one part is in the stem and 100 parts in the bulb.

6. RBC PIPETTE
• Other uses of R.B.C. pipette:
• 1. WBC count in leukemias
• 2. Platelet counting
• Uses of the bead in the bulb
• 1. For proper mixing
• 2. To know whether the pipette is dry
• 3. To identify the pipette
• R.B.C diluting fluid: Hayem’s fluid is the
commonly used diluting fluid.

7. IMPROVED NEUBAUR
CHAMBER
• This is a thick rectanguar glass with a polished transverse
bar in the centre, separated from the rest of the slide by
two parallel grooves on either side.
• The polished bar is divided into two equal platforms by a
groove in the middle resulting in ‘H’ shaped depression
(moats).
• The surface of the platforms is 1/10 mm below the
surface of the rest of the slide.
• So if a cover glass is placed over the surface of the
counting chamber, the under surface of the coverglass
remains 1/10 mm above the polished surface of the
platform.

8. ESBACH’S
ALBUMINOMETER
• This is a glass tube with markings.
• Two markings are seen : U & R : U- Urine, R-
Reagent
• Uses: 1. Quantitative estimation of
protein(albumin) in urine.

9. HEMOGLOBINOMETER
Description : This device holds mainly 4 parts :
1. Stirer : Thin rod glass
2. Haemoglobin pipette
3. Sahli’s graduated haemoglobin tube
4. Comparator with a brown glass standard
Uses :
To measure Haemoglobin concentration in the blood.

10. SAHLI
HEMOGLOBINOMETER
Advantages :
1. Simple method
2. Small quantity of blood is needed
3. Can be easily repeated
Disadvantages :
1. Operator visual error
2. Other forms of Hb cannot be estimated
3. Fading of standard – false reading
4. Affected by hyperbilirubinemia

11. HEMOGLOBIN PIPETTE
Description : white tube without bulb
Component of Sahli’s hemoglobinometer
Uses :
To measure Haemoglobin concentration in the blood.

12. WINTROBE’S TUBE
or HEMATOCRIT
TUBE
• Thick walled tube with narrow lumen, one
end closed.
• Total length – 11 cm, diameter 2.5 cm
• Graduated – 0-100 mm
• It has two measurements – one for PCV one
for ESR
• Below upward markings – PCV
• Above downward marking – ESR
• Anticoagulant used – double oxalate, dry
ammonium oxalate mixture

13. WINTROBE’S TUBE
or HEMATOCRIT
TUBE
• After centrifugation forms 3 layers :
1. Plasma layer
2. Buffy coat – WBC and Platelets
3. Packed RBC’S (Haematocrit)
• Uses :
Determination of :
• ESR
• PCV
• Buffy coat smear preparation

14. URINOMETER
• Parts – weighed glass cylinder, bulb
containing mercury and stem.
• The stem has scale with readings 1.000
to 1.060 with divisions of 0.001- 0.002
used at temp of 150C
• Uses :
• To measure specific gravity of urine.

15. URINOMETER
• Based on principle of Bouyancy.
• Due to increased density of urine as
compared to water, urinometer will
float higher in urine than in water.
• The weighted float will displace the
volume of urine equal to its weight.

16. WESTERGREN’S PIPETTE
• 30 cm long tube open at both ends.
• Diamete 2.5 cm
• Markings – 0-200 mm
• Anticoagulant used – Trisodium citrate
(3.8%) – 0.4ml with 1.6ml venous blood
• Uses :
• Used for measurement of ESR.

17. WESTERGREN’S PIPETTE
• Precautions
1. Tube should be grease free
2. Vertically placed
3. No vibrations
4. Not be exposed to direct sunlight/ heat
• Causes of raised ESR
1. Tuberculosis, infections, cancer
2. Chronic diseases – arthritis, ankylosing
spondylitis etc.

18. SALAH BONE
MARROW ASPIRATION
NEEDLE
• Shorter needle
• Parts - wide bore needle, stylet and
guard
• Sites of bone marrow aspiration:
1. Posterior iliac crest
2. Anterior superior iliac crest
3. Sternum (last resort in morbid
obese and older than 12 years)
4. Tibia (Only in infants younger than
1 years)

19. INDICATIONS OF BONE MARROW
ASPIRATION
1. Unexplained anaemia, abnormal red cell indices, cytopenias or cytoses
2. Abnormal peripheral blood smear morphology suggestive of bone marrow pathology
3. Diagnosis, staging and follow-up of malignant haematological disorders (e.g. acute and chronic
leukaemias,myelodysplastic syndromes, chronic myeloproliferative disorders, lymphomas,
plasma cell myeloma, amyloidosis, mastocytosis)
4. Suspected bone marrow metastases
5. Unexplained focal bony lesions on radiological imaging
6. Unexplained organomegaly or presence of mass lesions inaccessible for biopsy
7. Microbiological culture for investigations of pyrexia of unknown origin or specific infections,
e.g. military tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, malaria
8. Evaluation of iron stores
9. Investigation of lipid/glycogen storage disorders
10. Exclusion of haematological disease in potential allogeneic stem cell transplant donors

20. BONE MARROW BIOPSY
NEEDLE - Jamshidi
Needle
• Longer can be used for both aspiration &
biopsy from iliac crest.
• Parts – wide bore needle, stylet and hook
• Uses :
• To take bone marrow biopsy sample

21. LUMBAR PUNCTURE
NEEDLE
• Thin needle used to puncture lumbar areaL3-L4
or L4-L5 interspace.
• Uses :
1. Collect CSF sample (spinal tap) for
biochemical, microbiological and
cytological analysis
2. Aspiration from peritoneal cavity, pleural,
joint space.
3. Spinal anesthesia
4. Therapeutic lumbar puncture (to relieve
increased ICP)

22. VIM-SILVERMAN (LIVER
BIOPSY NEEDLE)
• The needle consists of 3 parts
• Trocar, Cannula, Bifid needle
• Indications of liver biopsy
1. Cirrhosis of liver
2. Malignancy
3. Granuloma
4. Metabolic and storage disorders
5. Unexplained jaundice

23. VIM-SILVERMAN (LIVER
BIOPSY NEEDLE)
• Contraindications of liver biopsy
1. Bleeding disorders
2. Infections in liver, peritoneum,
biliary tract
3. Hydatid cyst
4. Hemangioma
5. Chronic passive congestion of
liver

24. VIM-SILVERMAN (LIVER
BIOPSY NEEDLE)
• Complications of liver biopsy
1. Puncture of gall bladder – bile
leakage – biliary peritonitis
2. Hemorrhage
3. Cholangitis
4. Puncture of viscera – Kidney or
colon, pancreas

25. GRADUATED CONICAL
CENTRIFUGE TUBE

26. CASETTE
Instrument name: Tissue cassettes
Use: Tissue processing – these cassettes
are totally resistant to most reagents and
their slots offer maximum flow through for
good fluid exchange and proper drainage

27. L - MOULD
Use: Tissue embedding –
tissue is embedded to make tissue block
used to prepare paraffin blocks

28. PARAFFIN WAX
BLOCK
Use: Tissue embedding –
After adding fixative, biopsies are
embedded in paraffin/wax to
support the tissue so that thin
sections or slices can be cut and
placed on a microscope slide.