I have been watching this thread with some interest.  I have a VIP 300 that
has started contaminating the 100% alcohols in stations 6-8 with xylene.
Our service guy couldn't find a problem and when he called Sakura the first
time they said it wasn't possible for the machine to do that.  That answer
aggravated me because I knew that I was putting new 100% alcohol on the
processor and after 1 run it would cloud up when poured into water and even
had a xylene smell.  I was loosing this alcohol from my recycle waste
stream.  The service guy tried again and contacted Sakura.  The final answer
from Sakura was that the machine wasn't giving error codes and was still
processing tissue.  Since the machine was doing the job it was designed to
do it wasn't their concern that the xylene was getting into the alcohols.
Bottom line TOO BAD.  I am working up a purchase order on a new processor
now.  The experience I have had recently with this problem and the fact that
I still have xylene in my alcohol will weigh heavily in my decision.
These are my thought and experiences only.  Take them for what you will.
Charles R. Embrey Jr., PA(AAPA), HT(ASCP)
Histology Manager
Urbana, IL


-----Original Message-----
From: JMeade0710@aol.com [mailto:JMeade0710@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 5:00 PM
To: JWEEMS@sjha.org
Cc: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: Sakura Vip


Hello there,
 I have used a VIP of one generation or another for a lot of years, and can 
find no unkind words to say about them. The are the steady eddy in all the 
labs I have worked in over the years. You can't go wrong with them.
Performing routine cleaning and maintenance on them is important and they 
will give you faithful service for years.
I have worked in labs having 6 units and currently have three, in two 
different generations, that are the workhorses for our lab. We process about

40,00 specimens annually.
Good luck on your demo, I don't see how you can go wrong.

Jerry Meade
Technical Specialist
Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center
Dearborn, MI