Dear Pat, here some inputs. If usefull, you have to decide for yourself. Ad controls: We use for most of our antibodies an "universal-control". This is put together with tiny pieces of normal tonsil, appendix, skin, liver and pancreas. If you are interested, look at the website of NordiQC. Some labs prefer to cut the controls in advance. This can also save time, but the controls shouldn't get older than a week. Ad speed: we cut the urgent cases in advance besides the HE with 6 slides per block. These are needle biopsies from breast, liver, kidney, .... etc.; the pathologists only have to order a panel. Ad drying: we often skip the drying in the oven at all. But it is important to get rid of the water under the sections. (Besides: drying at high temp for longer period can alter stainability.) Ad LIS: we also have no LIS, but a light-version of it. We use a WORD-document as form. The pathologists can mark the wished antibodies and print the sheet directly onto our printer in the lab. Ad organisation: isn't it possible with 4 instruments to keep the same antibodies on each instrument? For example: one machine is the breast-machine, one for lymphomas, etc. If this is possible, you can add a "machine-code" on the labels and only look at this code while filling the machines.
We work only with one Ultra. First technician comes at 6.30 and starts the first run until 7.00-7.30. Second run is started at 10.30-11.00 and the run over night is started around 15.00. The most slides have to been cut at afternoon. And if there are more than 30, they go into the morning run. This gives for the urgent biopsies an IHC-TAT about 5-6 hours (from HE delivering to IHC delivering). Most other cases are ready over night (HE delivering till 12.30 and IHC-ordering-deadline at 14.30). Hope this helps Gudrun Lang Ltd. BMA Histolabor Akh Linz, Austria -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- Von: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] Im Auftrag von Karlisch, Patricia Gesendet: Montag, 01. Juli 2013 23:36 An: 'histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu' Betreff: [Histonet] Immunohistochemistry TAT Histonetters, I am looking for some help in getting IHC slides out in an 8 hour period of time. Here is some information. * We have a busy Immunohistochemistry lab and the volume of requests keep increasing. We offer approximately 150 different IHC stains ( including ISH and Dual ISH for Her 2). Generally, there are request for >150- 200 IHC tests twice a day, not including negative and positive (same slide) controls. * The techs pull an AM log at 6am and another at 1pm. The 1pm log will be handled while waiting for the IHC's to be completed from the 6am run and these will always be run overnight. * The 6am log requires that one tech start cutting each block for multiple IHC stains. (A search for blocks and the necessary control slide occurs by the same person). The slides are kept in a 60 degree oven for about 60 minutes. Most of these slides will be ready by 2-3:30pm. Here is my question. If we allowed requests for IHC stains to wait until 9AM how could we still get slides out by 3:30pm-4pm? In other words we would not have access to an LIS log until 9am so that the pathologists could order from the morning biopsies. What is the best way to do this with 3 Ventana Ultra's and one Benchmark XT. The blocks ( usually 40-50) need to be cut; sit in an oven and then get labeled and placed on the Ventana's. All longer stains such as ISH would be run overnight. The following tasks makes the 3:30- 4pm deadline difficult: * Searching for the blocks * Cutting the blocks (40-50) onto control slides + negative control * One hour in the oven to dry (Can we use 30minutes?) * Attaching labels to 150 slides and setting up instruments * One microtome * 2 techs/ some of the time Can you share your workflow with me if you do a similar volume of slides within an 8 hours period. How would you staff the two IHC techs to gain the most efficiency. As you know the fuller the instrument the longer the staining process. Thank you, Pat Karlisch, Supervisor pkarli...@hmc.psu.edu<mailto:pkarli...@hmc.psu.edu> Tel 717-531-6072 _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet