One point to mention is the time that the tissue has to be left pinned.
If the tissue is to be pinned on cork just for dissection purposes  do
not see a problem. If however you are using pins to keep tissue flat
during fixation, then you may wish to consider an alternate. Steel pins,
even stainless ones can contribute various metals to the tissue and if
non stainless will rust if left for a sufficient period of time. When I
was training we needed to pin out the cheek mucosa of monkeys and fix
them for at least 48 hours. It was the usual practice for us to use
hedgehog quills as these did not rust and did not contribute to the
tissue artifacts (good market for someone in the UK to exploit - just
put out saucers of milk in your gardens!). Failing that you could use
plastic pins. I have no the slightest idea where to get plastic pins,
but some of the thinner dental picks sold in pharmaceutical stores such
as Walgreens should suffice and can be reused. Keep the ones for tooth
cleaning separate from those used for pinning!!
Barry

-----Original Message-----
From: Weems, Joyce [mailto:JWEEMS@sjha.org]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2003 7:59 AM
To: HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: RE: Dissecting Pins

My response was returned so here's my 2 cents. I get them at sewing
stores
like Joann"s. Not expensive.

-----Original Message-----
From: Horn, Hazel V [mailto:HornHV@archildrens.org]
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 10:31 PM
To: HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: RE: Dissecting Pins


One of our pathologist said someone makes disaposable dissecting pins??
Anyone know anything about these?
Thanks,

Hazel Horn, HT/HTL (ASCP)
Histology Supervisor
Arkansas Children's Hospital

Phone - 501.364.4240
Fax - 501.364.3912

-----Original Message-----
From: Linda Stirpe [mailto:lpstirpe@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 1:11 PM
To: HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: Dissecting Pins



--- Laurie Colbert
 wrote:
> Does anyone know where I can purchase dissecting
> pins for pinning out
> specimens?
>
> Laurie Colbert
>
> Hi Laurie,

We use quilting pins (T-shaped) bought at the local
Wal Mart. Just a suggestion.

Linda Stirpe
Corning Hospital
Corning, NY
>


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