And now a laboratory microwave vendor weighs in, so you can decide
whether or not you want to read this, or what level of credibility we
have (I'm getting out my Nomex flame-retardant suit):
First of all, you're not stuck paying $35k for a lab microwave, even a
model for processing.
Second, please feel free to download our Microwave Companion, a purely
"advancing-the-art" publication that does not attempt to sell anything
at all: [1]http://www.ebsciences.com/pdf/EBS_MW_COMPANION.pdf
Third, lab managers should be at least as concerned about OSHA as CAP;
see OSHA 29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2) which simply states that no food-grade
microwave should be used for anything other than its intended purpose.
Now, here's essentially a repeat of an earlier Histonet posting:
Energy Beam Sciences, a pioneer in the use of microwaves in histology,
has maintained for over a decade that consumer-grade microwaves have
no place in a laboratory setting. Admittedly, over the years some
users have managed to achieve varying levels of success in some
"non-tissue-processing" applications like staining. However, I'd argue
that a high number of failures due to this same approach have served
to regress the art via anecdotal microwave "horror stories." Now that
microwaves (both consumer-grade and true laboratory instrumentation)
are in routine and widespread use in the histology laboratory, it
should be unsurprising that CAP is taking this issue seriously.
CAP is not alone; microwaves in histology have been receiving
increased interest from standards institutes such as CLSI (see their
publication GP-28A), and significantly, governmental agencies. Besides
Europe's strict IVDD regulations, in the USA you have the
aforementioned OSHA.
It may be true that an external hood, fitted to a "kitchen" microwave,
will remove vapors from the lab. But consumer grade microwaves have
other limitations: they are often prone to hot and cold spots within
their chambers, usually aren't designed or built to take the
day-in-and-day-out demands of the histology laboratory, don't have
calibrated output, and don't provide the means to measure output
power, for example. Due to their long magnetron cycle times, there may
be no difference at all between 15 seconds at 100% power and 15
seconds at 20% power. These are not deficiencies, given the proper
context: heating leftovers or reheating cold coffee at home... an
entirely different context from someone's biopsy, however.
There's also the question of liability exposure. If your laboratory
were party to any kind of lawsuit, whether as plaintiff or defendant,
how comfortable would you be if it came out that an inexpensive
consumer appliance were being used, rather than available, appropriate
laboratory instrumentation, even if it had absolutely no bearing on
the issue at hand?
Now how does that $69 Wall-to-Wall-Mart microwave stack up?
Late in 2005, after a series of conversations and e-mails with CAP
representatives (and CLSI, whose publications CAP references), Energy
Beam Sciences developed some recommendations to help with these new
checklist items. An Acrobat file of said recommendations may be found
on our website at
[2]http://www.ebsciences.com/pdf/EBS_CAP_RECOMMEND.pdf
(Note that the requirement for annual leakage measurement has been
dropped, although it's still a good idea.)
Also, feel free to browse our "library" section for articles, papers
and protocols.
Although I do all I can to sell our laboratory microwaves, I'm at
least as interested in "advancing the art." To me, that translates to
getting consumer microwaves out of labs, and true laboratory
microwaves in, even if they're not ours.
Best regards,
Phil McArdle
--
Phil McArdle
Microwave Product Manager
Energy Beam Sciences, Inc.
29-B Kripes Rd.
East Granby, CT 06026
Tel: 800.992.9037 x 341
Mobile: 860.597.6796
Fax: 860.653.0422
[3]pmcardle@ebsciences.com
[4]www.ebsciences.com
I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it's been.
- Wayne Gretsky
You must be the change you want to see in the world.
- Mahatma Gandhi
NOTE: This message, together with any attachments, is intended only for the use
of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain informati
on that is legally privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure. If you
are not the intended recipient, however, there's not a lot I can do about it, a
nd it was probably my mistake anyway. So please do the right thing and make thi
s e-mail go away. Thank you.
Parker, Helayne wrote:
I was wondering if anyone new what CAP require of us if we have a
common
household microwave that we use for special stains.
Helayne Parker,HT (ASCP)
Histology Section Head
Skaggs Community Health Center
Branson, Missouri
_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
[5]Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[6]http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
[7]Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[8]http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
Bartlett, Jeanine (CDC/CCID/NCZVED) wrote:
Hi all:
I'd like to know how many of you out there use non-laboratory grade
microwaves for specials stains.......specifically for heating
methenamine-silver for a GMS. For those that do, are there any safety
issues of which you are aware?
Thanks for your help!
Jeanine Bartlett, BS, HT(ASCP)QIHC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch
1600 Clifton Road, MS/G-32
18/SB-114
Atlanta, GA 30333
(404) 639-3590
[9]jeanine.bartlett@cdc.hhs.gov
_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
[10]Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[11]http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
References
1. http://www.ebsciences.com/pdf/EBS_MW_COMPANION.pdf
2. http://www.ebsciences.com/pdf/EBS_CAP_RECOMMEND.pdf
3. mailto:pmcardle@ebsciences.com
4. http://www.ebsciences.com/
5. mailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
6. http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
7. mailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
8. http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
9. mailto:jeanine.bartlett@cdc.hhs.gov
10. mailto:Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
11. http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
|