Greetings Jeff,
Happy New Year.
interesting approach to cytology. have to wonder if more labs got out of the pap smear business if the regs would ease and maybe reimbursments improve.

re Histogel, haven't used it so I don't know first hand but I've often wondered if this product isn't simply agar which I used to use to make cell blocks years ago. we would keep a 1 or 2% agar solution in glass test tubes, which is also solid at room temp and heat over a flame to liquefy (I guess an alternative might be to store it in an oven), combine with the cellular material and centrifuge in a conical centrifuge tube. by the time the spinning is complete the agar is often gelled again and you just remove the button from the tube. an option if it turns out that the cost of histogel turns out to be unreasonable.

regards,
Vinnie


>>> Jeff Silverman  01/07/02 08:31PM >>>
Hi Folks. Could someone give me the source for Histogel and tips on its use
for cell block preparation. We just decided to do all fluids as cell blocks
and are eliminating the cytology service, except for FNA,s  completely due
to all the regs nowadays. YAY. No more Pap stains.
Jeff Silverman
Southside Hospital
Bay Shore NY