As an addendum to Tim's response (as we work together!) I have not had to
baby-sit the Leica that we use in the traditional manner, i.e. with
solvent-based mountant.  Once it picks up the first slide I walk away.
(Most of the "errors" are technician-errors, i.e. not enough coverslips for
the number of slides, etc.) Yes, there have been instances where a problem
has occurred but I use it often and this is rare.  I do not use the one that
I adapted for use with aqueous mountant very often as I do not do as many
immunos as Tim.  The fact that we have adapted it for a use "out of the box"
may be part of its "finicky-ness".  Just a thought!

Jeanine Bartlett, HT(ASCP)
Centers for Disease Control
Infectious Disease Pathology Activity
Atlanta, GA


-----Original Message-----
From: Morken, Tim [mailto:tim9@cdc.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 1:36 PM
To: 'histonet@pathology.swmed.edu'
Subject: RE: Sakura vs. Leica coverslippers


I have used the Sakura tape coverslipper and the leica CV 5000. 

The tape machine is best suited for production labs. It is very fast, almost
trouble free. I never saw any tape lift-off in the 5 years I used it, but
maybe it doesn't' make a lot of difference anyway; in a production
environment the chances are that no one will ever look at the vast majority
of those slides again after sign-out.

We currently have two leica CV5000 machines. One is for solvent-based
mounting media and the other for aqueous mounting media. This is a very
complex machine and is very finicky. I never leave the room when it is
running my slides. The new model is less complex so maybe it is less finicky
- at least from what I saw at the NSH show.

The Sakura glass coverslipper seemed less complex as well, and has a small
footprint.

Tim Morken
Atlanta

-----Original Message-----
From: Satterfield, Marirose
[mailto:marirose.satterfield@MercyMemorial.org]
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 10:02 AM
To: 'histonet@pathology.swmed.edu'
Subject: Sakura vs. Leica coverslippers


I am a first time user of the Histonet. I have been told it is very useful
for information.
I have been looking into purchasing a automated coverslip. We have had
several demos in-house. We had found for ease of operation the Sakura was
most trouble free. Although when the Leica Reps came in they told us stories
of slides coverslipped with the tape as popping off and ruining the tissue.
They also told us that there was a large company that sued Sakura for having
to go back and recover all their slides. So I am interested in hearing all
sides of the story from people who have used either coverslipper.
Thanks in advance
Mari Satterfield
Mercy Memorial Hospital
Monroe Mi