Re: [Histonet] A solution for a problem

Hi Carl - I'm very old (old, old, old) school and started out making all our solutions. For my present lab, our tech time is the most precious asset and it is far cheaper to buy ready made, then to pay the tech hours, and lose valuable tech time for more pressing work. Never going back to "hom

[Histonet] A solution for a problem?

Hi Histopeeps - We are a small hospital lab, and perform a small number of special stains by hand using premade solutions. Now, with little warning, our source (Polyscientific) for these reagents/stains has been sold. The new company (StatLab) does not label the reagents with the chemical make

Re: [Histonet] Cryostat blades vs knives

Get the disposable knife holder, use any blade you want, you'll never look back. Best of luck Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-2021   Honesty AccouNtability     AgiLity     CoLlab

[Histonet] 35 years after CLIA

Very interesting read. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-2021   Honesty AccouNtability     AgiLity     CoLlaboration   CoMpassion -Original Message- From: histonet-requ...

Re: [Histonet] A "HistoPeep"

I'm a professionally qualified Technologist with 45 years of experience on the bench and in management. I'm published, I've conducted workshops and hold Electron Microscopy Technologist certification. I'm proud to be a HistoPeep. HistoPeeps are my people! Relia - You speak to the majority of

Re: [Histonet] Paraffin on floors

Paraffin buildup on floors. Histology's worst. Problem solution: 1. Everyday, sweep and scrape personal work areas - microtomes and embedding 2. Put paraffin catching mats at key traffic areas - Change every 2 weeks 3. Have Environmental Services/Housekeeping strip and re-wax the worst traffic p

[Histonet] More Haiku

There are spirochetes! I don't see the spirochetes. Use immersion oil! Oh no, stains look off! Is it the H and E stain? Time to troubleshoot! My white shoes are red. Carbol Fuchsin is to blame. Those white shoes are doomed. Histology slides. It is a beautiful art. My heart swells with pride. Mu

Re: [Histonet] Histo Haiku

Whose blood do I see? Microtome blades are so sharp, I cut my finger. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-2021   Honesty AccouNtability     AgiLity     CoLlaboration   CoMpassion **

Re: [Histonet] [EXTERNAL]TEST

This is a test to see if I can post to the list again. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-2021   Honesty AccouNtability     AgiLity     CoLlaboration   CoMpassion ***Please Note: R

Re: [Histonet] Weak DAB from frozen

I agree with Carl Hobbs: "Perhaps your H2O2 ( substrate) stock has 'gone off'? That will give you a weaker/negative DAB result." If your frozen DAB aliquots keep the same color, I would be very suspect of the Hydrogen Peroxide. It can become unstable very quickly. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL L

Re: [Histonet] John Caggiano's passing

I just returned from a week off to see the notice of John Caggiano's passing. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. His unwavering commitment and support to the field of Histotechnology can't be understated. RIP, you will be missed. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for

Re: [Histonet] [EXTERNAL] Histonet Digest, Vol 238, Issue 13

We have something that is a bit of a hybrid that we call a "dummy" requisition. A person "orders" a "test" for pathology or cytology in the hospital information system. The form they fill out has all of the information that would appear on a paper requisition. When completed, it prints to a

Re: [Histonet] Von Kossa light source

We've used the UV light for the hood disinfectant, as well as just taken a break out in the sunshine. Both worked just fine Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-2021   Honesty AccouN

Re: [Histonet] Logging everything you do.

As someone who has been a supervisor in 3 institutions for 35 years, this is not that way to improve productivity. To log in every minute of activity feels very punitive and I can't imagine that it would be well received by staff. The best way to improve productivity is to start by asking each

Re: [Histonet] changing expiration dates once open

The inspector is wrong. Sometimes there is an expiration upon opening, but the majority of reagents do not have this. Just smile and say OK like you really mean it, then check your CLIA regulations and be prepared to back up your defense for the next inspector. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL La

Re: [Histonet] Losing sections

I may have an answer for you. Your Prisma stainer only runs the heater when needed. With full runs, the oven stays warm, but later stain runs allow for the heater to cool down. When your rack goes into the dry station, the heat comes up from the bottom to start to dry the slide, thus the bott

Re: [Histonet] Peroxidase Stain

I have long used the kits from Sigma and found them to be extremely reliable. Call their tech helpline for advice, or reach out to your pathologist for their preference. I know that "homemade" saves money over kits, but for me, my most costly and precious resource is my tech time. Save yourse

Re: [Histonet] Coverslip Instruments

We use the Tissue Tek Glas with our Ventana labeled slides with no problem. The key is to insure the label does not hang off the edge in the slightest. However, it does not put them in a tray, however, that function only takes about 10 seconds. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Ho

[Histonet] background staining Melan A

My first instinct is to ask what detection system you are using. If you are using an Avidin-Biotin detection, kidney is notorious for having excess biotin that must be blocked, or better yet, use a polymer based detection system. That needs to be answered before further trouble shooting. Terri

[Histonet] A question for my hospital lab peeps

I'd love to hear your input On breast mastectomy cases with sentinel lymph nodes, what is your cutting protocol for sentinel lymph nodes sent for frozen section? How many frozen levels? How many permanent section Levels? Any unstained ffpe sections saved or stained IHC? I'm just trying to make sur

Re: [Histonet] Bone saw

We have used the IMEB band saw for years and love the results. It has a similar footprint and will cut through anything, including a steel pin. It also has a diamond blade and optional water cooling. It does seem a little awkward to clean, and I wish the protective housing was a little better

Re: [Histonet] Testing Skills

Aside from the terrible legal liability that you would open your institution to by asking them to operate "dangerous" equipment when they are not in your employ, sitting at a strange microtome/waterbath set up with different knives, paraffins, processing, just would not be an accurate test. I r

Re: [Histonet] FNA collection

Here our Histology techs and tech assistants collect all FNAs. We stopped making thyroid smears 2 years ago, preferring to collect 6 passes, 5 directly flushed into Cytolyte for CB and Thin Prep, and one pass into Affirma holding solutions for possible testing for equivocal samples. Using this

Re: [Histonet] Sentinel Lymph node microtomy

A very interesting question, and I suspect you will receive a wide range of answers. I, too, was taught to cut the first level, then 3 unstained for possible IHC, then second and 3rd level. However, further research has shown that micrometastisis has little effect on patient outcomes so in man

Re: [Histonet] Pathology Competency

Besides the GYN reviews, we use our CAP surveys and circulate the ER/PR, Her2, CD20, Ki-67, and MMR panel between all pathologists for a blind read. The original survey is reported in rotation, then all other pathologists are given blank copies of the answer sheet and asked to fill it out. The

Re: [Histonet] Clarapath SectionStar

I'm not holding my breath for this one. Not to say it will never happen, but don't look for this one anytime in the foreseeable future. Terri Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-3874  

Re: [Histonet] Slide Printer

We've been using our Leica IPS and IPC printers for over 15 years, first as stand-alone units, and now, integrated into CoPath. What a workhorse these instruments this have been! Their modern equivalent is almost identical, so parts are readily available. My recommendation would be to repair

Re: [Histonet] Roll plate, Freeze spray in the Cryostat

Just a word of caution that unless you are quite sure of the cleanliness of your cryostat, or the infectious status of the specimens cut in your cryostat, freezing spray is the worst product to use in a cryostat. It creates aerosolized particles that can linger, and infect, for hours. At our la

Re: [Histonet] roll plate - using freezing spray in a cryostat

Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-3874   Honesty AccouNtability     AgiLity     CoLlaboration   CoMpassion You can reach the person managing the list at histonet-ow...@l

Re: [Histonet] Stability Guarantee vs Expiration date

Richard's suggestion is the most sensible suggestion that I've seen in a while, however, it means less money for reagent manufacturers, so I doubt we will ever see it come to pass. - Terri -- Message: 2 Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2022 13:45:44 + From: "Cartun, Richard" W

Re: [Histonet] cold ischemic time

We average within 1 minute for needle core and small biopsies, within 15 for lumpectomy or mastectomy. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-3874   Honesty AccouNtability     AgiLity  

Re: [Histonet] paraffin on floors

After a ba-zillion years in Histology, I've found there is no substitution for having the floors stripped every 2 weeks. The trick is NOT to apply floor wax after stripping. We've also been currently using mats in key areas where the most traffic is. This prevents wax from being ground into t

Re: [Histonet] Dissect Aid - Histonet Digest, Vol 215, Issue 2

We do not re-use. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-938-3874   Honesty AccouNtability     AgiLity     CoLlaboration   CoMpassion -Original Message- From: histonet-requ...@lists

Re: [Histonet] Happy Retirement, Tim

Wishing you all the best in your retirement, Tim. In reading your history in Histology and EM, I can see how your experience has led to so many wise, educational posts on the Histonet. As others have also expressed, I hope you will continue to be a contributing part of the Histology world. T

Re: [Histonet] cutting protocols for gender dysphoria mastectomies

We use the breast reduction mammoplasty protocol, 4 blocks each breast, single level, each block, unless the gross dissection reveals an unexpected anomaly. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph: 215-938-3689 Fax: 215-9

Re: [Histonet] Cryostat validation

Tony - We were on the same page. We purchased fresh beef liver, sectioned and froze it, cut and stained duplicate blocks and had the pathologist sign off on the process. We were also able to get some tonsils delivered fresh and did them, too. Terri Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories f

Re: [Histonet] The LEGAL side of specimen ownership

Sorry, E. Wayne, but in the USA, according to December 2004 JAMA The Journal of the American Medical Association 292(20):2500-5, recent examination of these issues by a US federal court resulted in a ruling that individuals do not retain rights of ownership or control of biological materials. I

Re: [Histonet] release of body parts

Our policy, and the policy at 2 other institutions that I've worked at, is a mirror of what Richard Cartun stated. We don't release soft tissues to anything but a funeral home. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) HNL Laboratories for Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 Ph:

Re: [Histonet] Cryostat

I'm not sure I understand why you would want to replace your 1850s just because Leica is closing the support. I have 2 and they are real workhorses. There are 2 independent companies in the area that can repair and perform PMs. One is Bel-Air and the other is Advantik. I'm sure there are oth

Re: [Histonet] Processing Protocols

We have encountered a similar problem with one of our two processors is down. Shortening the longer schedule produced underprocessed fatty tissues and over processed biopsies, so we run the biopsies on the short schedule overnight, run a quick clean cycle, then the larger tissues on the 10hr sc

Re: [Histonet] brain freeze artifact

First of all, freezing spray should NEVER be used in a cryostat. It produces dangerous aerosolized pathogens that linger in the air, just waiting to infect someone. There should be no exceptions. As to the ice artifact problem, not surprising to see this in brain since it is so fragile and oft

Re: [Histonet] Microscope Calibration

A. USE EYEPIECE WITH OCULAR MICROMETER ALREADY IN PLACE. B. Place the stage micrometer on the stage and focus on some portion of the scale with the 10X objective. C. Looking through the microscope, examine the ruling of the stage micrometer so that you can distinguish between the large (0.1 mm.)

Re: [Histonet] New antibody diluent

CAP specifically addresses Scott's question in the checklist (see below, copied from the Checklist) ANP.22780 Laboratories confirm assay performance when conditions change that may affect performance. NOTE: A change in antibody clone requires full revalidation/verification of the assay (equivale

Re: [Histonet] My boss won't manage a terrible employee

As a long time supervisor, I wanted to respond to the article about handling a terrible employee and add a few observations. Let me state, I am very process oriented, so I wanted to make a few observations. I try not to see a "terrible employee". To me, that adds a personal connotation that mi

[Histonet] Xray machines for Histology

Everyone here LOVES our Hologic Faxitron. A self-contained unit, so simple to operate. We can instantly x ray anything, including sometimes, the paraffin blocks, to see the microcalcifications to be sure we get them on a slide if they are there. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Sup

Re: [Histonet] Dragon

We were using mModal and are in transition to Voicebrook which uses Dragon as a speech recognition set up with SQ CoPath for both grossing and microscopic dictations. We have mixed user feelings, too. Our PA who does the majority of the gross, uses it and has lots of templates preset to simplif

Re: [Histonet] Bouin's in a spray bottle

I have to agree with Bob. Bouin's should not be used as an ink fixative, especially in a spray bottle. We use 5% Vinegar, or glacial acetic acid, and it works just fine. Just my 2 cents - T Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor HNL Labs, Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon

Re: [Histonet] Ouside Consults

Interesting question - Here, as previous places I've worked, we accession outside surgical consults with one of our routine Surgical numbers, and outside Cytological consults with a routine Cytology accession number. If we receive multiple mixed cases, they are all reported as a Surgical Consul

Re: [Histonet] Floaters

60% of floaters from the water bath? I find that really hard to believe. The Gephardt and Zarbo CAP study from 1996 showed reported the results of a Q-Probes study of 275 laboratories and documented a frequency of contamination of between 0.6% and 2.9%, depending on the study method. Their st

[Histonet] Crystals forming in Hematoxylin

Hello Histo Peeps - What are the clear crystals that form in Hematoxylin? We use Richard-Allen 7211. We love the stain, but occasionally, when a bottle has been previously opened, we find clear crystalline precipitate forming in the bottom. Today, we had a huge one (over an 2" in greatest dia

Re: [Histonet] LIS Systems

I've had great personal experiences with Sunquest CoPath Plus. It is very flexible for customization and at 3 differing institutions, has been extremely reliable. This does, however, come at a rather expensive cost. I think that in choosing a system, one needs to take into account connectivit

Re: [Histonet] grossing regulations

Actually, there is another route for some of us older techs. You can be grandfathered in without a degree if you have a certain prerequisite number of hours in specific science courses and prior documented training in grossing. Of course, I'm so old, I don't remember the details. LOL Terri L.

Re: [Histonet] linear stainer protocol

We have the Leica linear stainer (Also sold by Avantik?) and have it set at 7 second intervals. The stain takes about 100 seconds. Slides are fixed in the Coplin jar with 95% Alcohol then loaded: The stations are in order: 1. Water wash 2. Hemotoxylin (Richard Allen 7211) 3. Hemotoxylin (Richard

Re: [Histonet] Incomplete sectioning

A quality check can be accomplished in 2 places. It can be done at cutting, but it should already be being done and it doesn't seem to be working. Ideally, the stained H&E should be checked against the block face as it is pulled from the coverslipper to be given to the pathologist. Then it can b

Re: [Histonet] overstained Warthin starry

Any silver stains can be lightened or removed by the old method for removing mercury pigment. This particular timing will remove it all so I would start the sequence of steps in 5 second increments, repeat or lengthen times as needed. 1. Hydrate to distilled water. 2.Place in Lugols iodine for

[Histonet] Need a procedure

Hi fellow Histonetters - I'm in need of some help, please Background - We currently use agar to capture our scant cell blocks for processing. I am unfamiliar with the Plasma/Thrombin method of cell block preparation and am interested in comparing it to our current method Request - Could you pleas

Re: [Histonet] pregnancy and chemical exposure

Hi Val - I'm sorry that you feel that your concerns are not being addressed. I am the safety officer for our entire lab as well as the chair on our hospital's Environmental Safety and Hazardous Materials Committee. I do think that Tim has a valid point that Xylene is detectable by smell long

Re: [Histonet] Slippery floors

Dear Dorianne - Over 40+ years, I've seen all sorts of attempts at solving the "slippery floor" issue; mats, special flooring, etc. In my experience, there is no substitute for having the Environmental Services folks, strip the floors every 2 weeks. I find that while applications of floor fin

Re: [Histonet] H&E protocols

We use the same protocol for all H&Es Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 ph: 215-938-3689 fax: 215-938-3874 Care, Comfort, and Heal Sent: Friday, January 03, 2020 1:00 PM Subject: Histonet Digest, V

Re: [Histonet] Delay in embedding

We do it all the time. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 ph: 215-938-3689 fax: 215-938-3874 Care, Comfort, and Heal -Original Message- From: histonet-requ...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailt

[Histonet] Processing descemet's membrane

Hello Histopeeps - I need your help, please. I need to improve our processing of Descemet's membrane, more specifically keeping track of that little wisp of clear colorless tissue? Do you have any tricks to help keep track of it through processing? Inks? Embedding gel? Anything? I'm open for

Re: [Histonet] weekends in the small lab

thing to always consider is cap/Asco time fixation guidelines for breast biopsies. Having a weekend run gives you more flexibility. G Sent from my iPhone > On Dec 5, 2019, at 1:40 PM, Terri Braud via Histonet > wrote: > > In my experience in 2 small hospital labs, weekend coverage

[Histonet] weekends in the small lab

In my experience in 2 small hospital labs, weekend coverage is just not worth it. If it is a major surgery, then the patient will be recuperating and if it is just a biopsy, the ordering physician is rarely available to correlate the Pathology findings with the clinical findings. Most tell the

Re: [Histonet] Erroneous result

The report must be amended, not deleted. The amended reason should state the reason for the amendment, and the correction. "This report is amended to correct the patient data to the correct patient" All electronic reports that are downstream must show that correction. You can never just delete a

Re: [Histonet] Cell block processing

We collect our FNAs in CytoLyt. We also use it to wash all our non-gyn fluids, but then we fix the cell block "pellet" in formalin. We have had no problems with immunos, and are able to lyse the RBCs to provide a nice, clear specimen. Hope this helps. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology

Re: [Histonet] Transporting large amputations and QA review of reports

1. Extremity carrier (Olszewski, Dawn) I completely agree with Karen Bowden's response, "I work in a research lab so this may not go over well.? How about using a cart and a child size body bag? You would not be able to see through the bag and there shouldn't be any smell and you most likely have

Re: [Histonet] Bone Marrow Assists

Our Histology Techs also assist with Bone Marrows in CT, though there is little to do. We collect the aspirate in Heparin Tubes and the core in Bouins. We bring it back to the lab and make our smears from one of the heparin tubes. The other tubes go for special studies. I'd like to think our

Re: [Histonet] Freezing spray in cryostats

My question is why would you ever want to use an aerosol in the cryostat, taking a chance on aerosolizing some nasty bug? Is the 30 seconds you save in using freezing spray worth the exposure to TB or goodness-knows-what? We use a simple metal heat extractor (comes standard in our Leicas) and p

Re: [Histonet] Yearly Reviews

Hi Anne - Interesting question. Our Human Resources department keeps records of annual reviews, which include annual competencies, for 10 years following the separation of the employee from the system. I'm curious what others are doing, and does it vary from state to state. Terri Terri L. Brau

Re: [Histonet] Interview

Just a note: The liability of having a interviewee cut themselves operating an instrument that they have not been signed off as competent is HUGE. I think your company/labs legal team would say absolutely not. It would be nice to assess their cutting and other skills ahead of time, but that is

[Histonet] Ventana UltraView Contamination

Heads up, Histo peeps! We have 2 ultraView kits, both from the same lot #F03020 that have extra plugs? Black things? Floating around in the Multimer reagent. Please check your kits carefully. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon

Re: [Histonet] Tissue Adherence problem

Hi Deanne - Hope this will help For our Ventana Ultra, we use Leica / Surgipath Apex Superior Adhesive slides. We use de ionized water in our baths at 45C ish, no additives. We never "double-dip" our slides (meaning that if we mount a control on the top of the slide, we turn the slide upside down

Re: [Histonet] gross ventillation

Just a few words on gross ventilation. To be really efficient, it should be downdraft ventilation with appropriate sink access. Hoods with lowered sashes obscure working vision needed, are horrible to clean and disinfect. There should be no excuse for not budgeting an appropriate downdraft gr

Re: [Histonet] Benchmarks for reprocessing

We are down to < 0.1%, but I think you have to take into account your grossing staff. We are just medium sized and have an outstanding PA. Our 2 new Leica 6025 processors have also made a big difference. I suspect if you are a teaching hospital with residents grossing, there would be a learni

Re: [Histonet] Chromic Acid Disposal

The best thing to do would be to contact either your city chemist or the state EPA inspector to be sure to be in compliance with all local regulations. A reducing agent, such as sodium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite or sodium thiosulfate can be used to turn CrO3 into the less toxic Cr(III) oxide.

[Histonet] Stainer vs. Stainer

Hi Alison - I've used both stainers and like both of them a lot. Both were super reliable and easy to use. However, coverslipping is a different story. I've used both film and glass. About film - super quick, super easy, but - the purity of the xylene used to coverslip from film must be absol

Re: [Histonet] ER/PR Control

Hi Barbi - We are somewhere in-between with our ER/PR Controls. When performing lot to lot validations, we use our in-house control, which only has a 0 and a 3+, BUT we also use a commercially prepared control that contains 4 cores, 0. 1+, 2+, 3+. Once the new lot of antibody has been validat

[Histonet] Ventana dispensers - last word

To those of you who wrote in support of my comments, thank you sincerely. To the Company's credit, I did receive a call of apology and a listening ear concerning the ongoing problems associated with the dispensers. I sincerely hope they understand the frustration that such a problem can cause.

Re: [Histonet] Roche "bashing"

Such a wonderful insight into the thought process of Roche. Accused of bashing when I am telling the truth about failed lots when they claim the problem is fixed. If only they would put that much effort into repairing the problem and fostering better customer relations, than how to market their

Re: [Histonet] Another Dispenser Failure

Another one!!! Our Her2 antibody dispenser failed, LOT #E22628 This one "supposedly" FDA approved. Roche, why do you continue to lie to consumers of your product? You claim you've "fixed" the problem but your Ventana dispensers DON'T WORK! This is patient care! Why don't you care about the cu

Re: [Histonet] bleach under the sink

Cleaning supplies may be stored under the sink, but since "things" have a way of migrating there as well, we just have a blanket rule, nothing under the sink. Of course, this would never occur in the Histology Department, LOL. The space is actually locked off. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic

[Histonet] another Ventana dispenser failure

We have another dispenser failure. Ki-67, Cat# 790-4286, Lot# E17347, Failed on the 9th to last dispense. The plunger was very "sticky" and difficult to depress. Roche, are you listening??? Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon P

Re: [Histonet] sticking dispensers

We still have sticky issues, especially with the 250 HP dispenser, but there have been others. I have given up on Ventana. They don't fix it, don't care, and make you jump through hoops to get help. I'm STILL waiting on my refund 3 months ago from the HP recall where we had to repeat 78 HP te

[Histonet] looking for a specific block storage cabinet

Hi Histo Peeps - I'm trying to find the brand of paraffin block storage cabinets that have a little more height clearance than the traditional Tissue-Tek block storage cabinets. They were shown to me about 3-4 years ago, but I've misplaced the literature. I think they were blue? Vendors welco

Re: [Histonet] Roche/Ventana rant

My sympathies. I wish we had never bought the Ventana Ultra. The constant failures of the dispensers has caused such a headache, and the documentation needed before they will even agree to replace one reagent, and then the fight to obtain a credit for the entire test, not to mention wasted tec

[Histonet] LIS recommendations

LIS recommendations - I LOVE CoPath! Either version, but I am currently using the SunQuest version 6.1. Loads of flexibility. You can use it at it's most simplest, or add in all the bells and whistles. Easy to build and maintain, with well-established instrument interfaces and voice recognitio

Re: [Histonet] BioCare mart 1

Just call BioCare Technical service. They have a complete procedure for hand staining. I know because I used it in their facility when I went for training on their Flx. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA

Re: [Histonet] Cost per test averages

I find it very peculiar to be lectured by a Roche representative on including reagent management when calculating stain costs, considering Roche's yearlong ongoing issues with reagent supply problems and massive recalls. I've yet to have one month with no reagent supply problems from Roche/Vent

Re: [Histonet] Instrument to instrument correlation

Hi Paula - I use duplicate microarrays (TMAs), each with at least 10 positive cases and 10 negative cases, one TMA slide on each instrument for each antibody. Passed CAP with no problems. Hope this helps. Terri Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospi

Re: [Histonet] Repeats in IHC

Our repeat limits differ. If it is due to tissue falling off, we will try at least 3 times If it is due to unexpected, but within control, we will repeat it 2 times Then if it is still problematic for the above 2, we will send out the block for staining. If it is due to technical error (wrong b

Re: [Histonet] dishwasing

We wash by hand, but do use some disposables (pipets, etc). We make one final DI wash, then check the pH for residual detergent. Record pH per batch washed. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 ph: 215

Re: [Histonet] Ultra Clean Diluent for IHC (Jennifer Kempf)

I agree with Jennifer - Just another recommendation for BioCare and their reagents. They are a super company to work with and have excellent quality and quality control on their reagents. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pi

Re: [Histonet] Pregnancy guide

Remember that contamination can also be by skin absorption. With that in mind, we provide thick Nitrile gloves with instruction to change them at least every 30 minutes, or less if they show any signs of deterioration. We have great ventilation and beyond that, when we wear our fume badges, we

Re: [Histonet] Elephant skin

Probably one of those things best embedded/cut in plastic. Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP) Anatomic Pathology Supervisor Laboratory Holy Redeemer Hospital 1648 Huntingdon Pike Meadowbrook, PA 19046 ph: 215-938-3689 fax: 215-938-3874 Care, Comfort, and Heal _

Re: [Histonet] LTP fluid with Phenol

Here is the approximate chemical make-up of LTP with Phenol. (LTP stands for Long Term Preservation) Ethanol 48.% Formaldehyde 20.% Ethylene Glycol 4.% Phenol 11.% Glutaraldehyde 4.% Due to the presence of Ethylene Glycol, I would let the tissue set in a separate container of 10% Neutral Buffe

Re: [Histonet] special Stains under a hood

I have never (3 different places, 30+ years) heard of requiring special stains to be performed under a hood. Certainly, there are a few reagents that might need benefit from a hood (concentrated Ammonium Hydroxide) but generally, they are performed on an open counter next to a sink. If you are

Re: [Histonet] Unstained slides

I'm with Tim Morken on this one. The variability of antigenicity in storage is so wide open, and there really is no recent data, so we just make a point of educating our techs on not wasting tissue/levels during sectioning. If the techs feel that the residual tissue in the block is in danger of

Re: [Histonet] detection of ganglion cells and nerve fibers

In the past, I've used a rapid acetylcholinesterase on frozen material, but we never used Osmium to enhance staining. I've also used IHC on FFPE sections using s-100 and peripherin. Works great, but it's been awhile, so I don't know if there is something better/easier out there now. Terri L.

Re: [Histonet] TMAs for MMR validation

We used US Biomax TMA CO804A to validate our MMR antibodies. We sent one set to the reference lab where ours were currently being stained, and then stained the other set with the 4 Antibodies. Compared the staining of the 2 and done! I had also called CAP in insure that this method would be a

Re: [Histonet] Paperwork / tracking batch controls

There is an easy method to track batch controls using a blank slide. For each case stained, file a blank slide that has been labeled with the actual case number, the stain, and also the date of the control slide. Easy peasy. I published this method in Histologic in Aug. 1995 and it has stood t

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