Nov 2, 2026
Beth Galles DVM, Amy Walton DVM, Thanh Nguyen PhD, & Michael Wadman MD
Introduction
A peripheral blood smear (PBS) slide is a foundational diagnostic tool for evaluating hematologic or infectious disorders such as leukemia and malaria. However, the traditional manual blood smear preparation technique requires substantial technical training and skill maintenance to avoid skill decay. Improperly prepared PBS results in a suboptimal specimen leading to the need for repeated attempts, operational inefficiencies, diagnostic delays, and potentially diagnostic limitations or missed diagnoses due to inadequate clinical information. In this comparative study, experienced and novice technicians were tasked with preparing PBS using both the manual method and a preparation assistive device (RapidSmear®). The RapidSmear® is a portable device designed to mitigate error related to human factors through standardization of the specimen volume, smearing angle, and smearing technique. Technician efficiency was determined based on the number of attempts required to prepare an acceptable blood smear slide while microscopy examination was performed to rate smear quality.
Methods
A convenience sampling of laboratory technicians (n=37) was conducted at a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified hospital laboratory and a veterinary college. Technicians with more than one-year of experience were assigned into the experienced group and technicians with less experience were assigned into the novice group. Each participant was allowed unlimited attempts at preparing a PBS slide using the manual method then the RapidSmear® device. Each participant submitted one PBS slide for microscopy evaluation by a laboratory scientist.
Results
Study enrollment consisted of 37 participants, 11 experienced technicians and 26 novice technicians. The mean attempts required to prepare an acceptable blood smear was 7.3 for the manual method and 3.6 for the RapidSmear® demonstrating statistical significance (p<0.0001). The RapidSmear® demonstrated a 103% improvement in efficiency compared to the manual method. Statistical significance was observed within the novice group (mean: 3.9 vs 8.8, p=0.0001) but not in the experienced group (mean: 2.7 vs 3.9, p=0.3122). 65% of novice users felt the RapidSmear® improved their blood smear making skills and 92% endorsed the device as an effective teaching tool.
Conclusion
A suboptimal PBS may exhibit improper thickness, uneven cellular distribution, or a poor feathered edge which directly impacts diagnostic accuracy and patient care. This study demonstrated the RapidSmear® method significantly increased technician efficiency, particularly for novice personnel, while maintaining high specimen quality comparable to experienced technicians. Reducing slide preparation time and repeat attempts provides measurable labor, consumable, and operational savings.
References
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