I'm surprised this doesn't result in cracking of the paraffin wax! In a
previous lab I was given a tin box with a lid and told to part fill it with
dry ice pellets to cool my blocks, I didn't like it as I found it crazed the
wax. I prefer either an ice tray or a cold plate (converted drinks cooler!).

Margaret Blount
Chief Technician
Dept of Clinical Biochemistry
University of Cambridge
UK

-----Original Message-----
From: Cheasty, Sandra [mailto:SCheasty@ahs.llumc.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 6:26 PM
To: Chung, Luong; Mitchell, Nancy; HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: RE: ice trays


We have access to dry ice in our lab, it works very well.  A block of dry
ice is put on a towel next to the microtome and the blocks are laid on top
of it. (Face them in first at room temperature.)  They rarely get too cold,
and if they do, you just press your thumb against the surface for a moment.
If it is bloody and "sawdusty", I float it in the hot water bath for 10-20
seconds and then replace on the dry ice.  It keeps the whole block cold so
you can cut multiple levels at one cutting, without re-icing the block.

 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Chung, Luong [mailto:lchung@ppmh.org]
Sent:	Tuesday, July 22, 2003 09:27
To:	'Mitchell, Nancy'; 'HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu'
Subject:	RE: ice trays

Have you ever use crushed ice?  With crushed ice, you can sink the whole
block in the ice and it cool faster.  Just a suggestion.

Bruce Chung, MSM, CT(ASCP)
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital
Anatomic Pathology Manager
(229) 312-6130


-----Original Message-----
From: Mitchell, Nancy [mailto:NMitchell@sach.org]
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2003 12:02 PM
To: 'HistoNet@pathology.swmed.edu'
Subject: ice trays


We use ice trays at our facility as well and the histotechs love them. I
have used cooling trays/freezers but ulitmately, we keep going back to the
ice trays and save hundreds of dollars.  I guess there are just some things
that you can't improve on with technology!

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