Cryostat decontamination references:

 

College of American Pathologists, Commentary on certification questionaire:

1)     Decontaminate regularly with 70% alcohol.

2)     Defrost, remove trimmings and decontaminate with a tuberculocidal disinfectant, preferably weekly for instruments used daily

3)     Reference: National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS), Protection of Laboratory Workers from Instrument Biohazards and Infectious Disease Transmitted by Blood, body Fluids, and Tissue; Approved Guideline M29-A. Wayne, PA, NCCLS, 1997

http://www.cap.org/HTML/checklist_html/cklst08p.html

 

NCCLS site: http://www.nccls.org/

 

 

Decontamination for HIV

Frozen Section Technique for Tissues Infected by the AIDS Virus, Swisher, B.L., Ewing, E.P., J histotechnol, V9, No.1, p.29 (March 1986)

Recommends 95% ETOH (other publications referenced here indicate 95% alcohol is effective against HIV).

 

Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Safe Working and the Prevention of Infection in Clinical Laboratories, Health Services Advisory Committee.

Recommends formalin fuming for 24-48 hours at room temperature. Followed by ammonia for one hour (presumably as a neutralizer).

 

Laboratory Histopathology: A Complete Reference, Woods and Ellis, Churchill Livingstone, 1994.

Recommends defrosting , washing with 70% alcohol, complete cleaning. (no references given).

 

For those who like to read a lot:

APIC Guideline for Selection and Use of Disinfectants, Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC), American Journal of Infection Control, Vol 24(4), August 1996, 313-342. A good review of all disinfectants in use and the pros and cons of each.