More question about blades. How long does the average blade last? I know it
depends on the tissue, etc., but is their an average?  Can you tell the
difference between a dirty blade and a dull one?  How do you clean, or
should you, clean your blades?  Does wiping off excess paraffin with a
kin-wipe dull the blade?  These questions come to mind since I'll be cutting
all kinds of tissues (core facility) and I want to make sure I do quality
sectioning regardless of tissue type or what species it comes from.
Another question.  What differences of hematoxylin types and or staining
times do people use when staining human versus mouse tissues?

On 4/7/05 4:18 PM, "Stephen Peters M.D."  wrote:

> 
>  We  use accu edge and have found them to work well. I could not resist
> offering this excerpt from my frozen section tutorial.
> 
>  
> 
> I find that I always get my best quality section with a new sharp blade.  I
> think some of 
> 
> the places we try to save money in medicine are a bit "pound foolish". Your
> 
>  patients surgery is costing thousands of dollars. Hundreds of dollars are
> spent 
> 
> on disposables including lap pads, gloves, sponges, drapes, cautery, needles,
> needle magnets, BP cuff, IV tubing, ……..We are conserving pennies on what may
> be the
> 
>  most important decision impacting on the procedure. Yet some will risk
> quality by trying
> 
> to get "20 shaves" out of a disposable blade.
> 
> In my practice I treat every patient to a new section of blade. I will change
> it as soon as 
> 
> my section quality begins to fall. Some tissues such as tough collagenous
> tissues or 
> 
> calcified tissues will quickly dull the blade. If I'm having trouble getting a
> good section 
> 
> with a new blade on occasion I have changed to a second  new blade and easily
> 
>  prepared a quality section.
> 
>   
> 
>  Safety Tip   If you cut yourself on a blade used on only one patient, you
> will
> 
>  have minimized your risk of transmittable disease. If you cut yourself on a
> blade that 
> 
> has been used for days, it is like sleeping with numerous
> partners......without the fun! In
> 
> this day and age of doing FNA's with ridiculously flexible long safety needles
> and 
> 
> using annoying safety scalpels we can justify using a sharp blade for safety
> reasons.....
> 
> and get the benefit of awesome frozens every time!
> 
>  
> 
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> 

-- 
Tim Macatee
Research Histology Core
New York University School of Medicine
550 First Ave.
Department of Pathology.
Medical Science Building - Room 521
New York, N.Y. 10016
(212) 263-3888



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