1. A method for determining the hematocrit of a blood sample disposed within an analysis chamber operable to quiescently hold the sample for analysis, the chamber defined by an interior surface of a first panel, and an interior surface of a second panel, the method comprising the steps of: imaging at least a portion of the quiescent sample, which sample portion contains one or more red blood cells contacting both of the interior surfaces of the panels and one or more areas void of red blood cells extending between the interior surfaces, to determine an optical density value of the imaged portion of the sample on a per image unit basis; averaging the optical density values of a plurality of the image units optically aligned with the one or more red blood cell contacting the interior surfaces, and assigning an upper boundary value to the average optical density value of those image units; averaging the optical density values of a plurality of the image units optically aligned with the one or more red blood cell void areas, and assigning a lower boundary value to the optical density values of those image units; and determining the hematocrit of the sample by assigning relative values to the optical density value of image units of the imaged sample portion as a function of the upper and lower boundary values, and averaging the relative values.