EVALUATION OF THE ABBOTT CELL-DYN-3500 HEMATOLOGY ANALYZER IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

The Abbott(R) Cell-Dyn 3500 (Abbott CD 3500, Abbott Diagnostics Divisi on, Mountain View, CA) Is a fully automated hematology analyzer capabl e of providing a complete blood count (CBC) profile, including a five- part differential leukocyte count (DLC) and flagging system in this st udy. The CBC profile and DLC flagging system of the Abbott CD 3500 wer e evaluated according to the HA-20 protocol of the National Committee for Clinical and Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) and compared to the Tech nicon H2 blood analyzer currently used in the authors' laboratory. Li nearity, carryover, precision, and stability were all within the limit s established by the manufacturer. No significant breakdowns were foun d during the evaluation period.