The Speirs-Levy slide has the following characteristics which facilitate loading and counting:

1. There are 4 chambers per slide
2. Each chamber consists of ten 1 x 1mm squares which are subdivided into 16 smaller areas.
3. The depth of each chamber is 0.2 mm.
4. The chambers are spaced on the left hand side of the slide for ease of handling and to prevent accidental reversing of the slide.
5. An identification number is engraved on the right hand side of each chamber and will appear on the left hand side when viewed through the microscope. This number helps focusing and may be used to determine the beginning and end of a chamber count.
6. The outer edge of each chamber is inclined 7 degrees to aid in proper charging of the chamber and to act as a reservoir to replace any fluid that might evaporate before the slide is counted.