This technique has been used in recent years, and it is performed as follows: cells are collected from the cervix using a special brush. The head of the brush is then detached and put into a vial of preservative fluid. The entire sample is sent to the laboratory, where cells are separated from the fluid and other impurities (mucus, blood, etc.) using a special device. Then cells are spread on a slide in a single layer (thus avoiding cell overlap), again with the aid of a device, to be examined under the microscope by the Cytopathologist. This technique is internationally called LBC (Liquid Based Cytology), because the cells are preserved in fluid at the first stage. The name Thin Prep is a trade name (i.e. a product manufactured by a particular company).
