Neubauer Chamber

Quick Answer: The Neubauer Chamber is a glass counting chamber, or haemocytometer, with a ruled grid beneath a coverslip held at a fixed height, used to count cells, spores or particles in a known volume of liquid under a microscope.

Counting Cells in a Known Volume

A Neubauer chamber takes its name from the Neubauer ruling engraved on its floor, the most widely used family of haemocytometer grids. Raised ledges either side of a central platform hold a coverslip at a fixed height above the ruled floor, so the liquid over each square has a known volume. Counting the cells in several squares and scaling up gives the concentration in the original sample.

Accuracy comes from technique as much as from the glass. The sample is mixed and, if needed, diluted with a suitable fluid so that squares hold a countable number of cells; the chamber is filled in one smooth flow by capillary action; the cells are allowed to settle; and a boundary rule decides which cells on the grid lines are included. Counting both sides of the chamber and averaging reduces the effect of uneven filling.

This listing does not say which version of the ruling is engraved. Chambers sold under the Neubauer name very often carry the Improved Neubauer grid, which LabEquip also lists separately as the Haemocytometer, Improved Neubauer Pattern. The ruling matters, because the square sizes used in the calculation depend on it.

Care & Handling

• Rinse the chamber and coverslip immediately after use, before the sample dries on the grid.
• Wipe with lens tissue moistened with 70% alcohol, working along the chamber rather than across the ruling.
• Hold the chamber by its sides; fingerprints on the counting platform upset filling.
• Keep chamber and coverslip together in their case to prevent chips on the ledges.

Uses in Teaching and Routine Labs

• Yeast counts in brewing, baking and fermentation practicals.
• Cell counts before seeding cultures in biotechnology labs.
• Estimating the density of algae or protozoa in water samples.
• Blood cell counting practicals in physiology and medical laboratory technology courses.

Specifications

Why Choose LabEquip

Colleges running medical laboratory technology, microbiology and biotechnology courses buy counting chambers in sets so that each pair of students has one at the microscope. LabEquip lists the Neubauer chamber in General Lab Products, and the ruling version can be settled through the contact page before a class order.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I load the counting chamber?

Breathe lightly on the ledges, press the coverslip onto them until coloured bands appear, then touch a pipette tip holding the mixed sample to the edge of the coverslip. The liquid is drawn under by capillary action; stop as soon as the platform is covered.

Why dilute the sample before counting?

An undiluted sample such as blood holds so many cells that they overlap and cannot be counted. Diluting by a known factor brings the count per square into a manageable range, and the factor is multiplied back in the final calculation.

How many cells should be counted for a reliable result?

Counting a few hundred cells in total gives a much more reliable estimate than counting a few dozen, because random variation between squares evens out. If the count is very low, count more squares or use a smaller dilution.

How does this chamber differ from the Improved Neubauer haemocytometer?

Both are Neubauer-type counting chambers. The Improved Neubauer listing names its ruling, while this listing does not, so the grid should be identified. The calculation must always use the square sizes of the ruling actually engraved on the chamber.

Can dead and living cells be told apart in the chamber?

Yes, with a stain such as trypan blue. Living cells with intact membranes exclude the dye and look clear, while dead cells take it up and appear blue, so the two can be counted separately to give the percentage viability.

How should the chamber be cleaned after counting blood or cultures?

Treat it as potentially infectious. Soak it in a suitable disinfectant, rinse with distilled water, then wipe it with alcohol and lens tissue. Avoid abrasive pads and powders, which scratch the ruled surface.

Last Updated: September 2026