Tea bags, staples and tiny biopsies

From:Gayle Callis (by way of histonet)

Tea bags were great, but I always worried (from the tech standpoint and
having an expensive automated processor to maintain) that the tiny staple
would release and go into the machine innards, setting off a bomb so to
speak!

After having flat biopsies innumerable times, tried lens paper, but folded
it in such a way, like folding a filter paper for filtering stains,
triangular, that old way.  Biospy was placed in bottom of this space, then
folded over several times at the top, away from tiny fragments, placed
carefully into cassette, making sure it would not unfold.  To embed, often
took a microspatula, heated, and carefully scraped every tissue fragment
from filter paper.

Some lens papers are a bit sturdier than others, so be careful.  Blotting
papers or filter papers had too many loose fibers, plus heavy handed on
flattening round needle biopsies. I must admit, I am impressed with some of
the newer cassettes out, but have not had to use them.

Artifact free tissue resulted, and I never lost tissues, they were well
processsed.  The tiny bit of space seemed to help, but care at embedding
was mandatory.  Good light, a white surface, plus not flipping things open
willy nilly.
Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman MT 59717

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