ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the advantages of automatic chromosome harvester in lymphocyte micronucleus test. Methods The peripheral blood of 80 radiation workers was collected, then lymphocytes were harvested with an automatic chromosome harvester and manual methods. After Giemsa stained the slides, the micronucleus of the lymphocytes was analyzed under a microscope. Results For lymphocytes from the same batch of specimens, the time of the automatic harvester (185 min) was less than that of the artificial group (350 min). The micronucleus rate (1.04‰ ± 0.63‰), micronucleus cell rate (0.89‰ ± 0.69) and micronucleus positive rate (70.0%) that obtained by the harvester were all higher than manual method (0.60‰ ± 0.68‰, 0.51‰ ± 0.55‰, 48.8%), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Conclusion The automatic chromosome harvester can shorten the experimental operation time, reduce the workload of laboratory personnel, and protect the physical and mental health of laboratory personnel. At the same time, it can increase the detection rate of lymphocyte micronucleus, which can provide more accurate detection data for the clinic.