Andrea
The $1000 kits are for IHC. Someone sent me a notice that they had to pay 
$1750!!

Donna
I'm not knocking Ventanna and am glad you're happy with it. They left a bad 
taste with Kelly Pilcher.
Oh yeah, I met you in Ft. Worth last year. Great lab.

Robin


>From: "Willis, Donna" <DonnaWillis@hmhs.com>
>To: Andrea Kaj <andreakaj@hotmail.com>, HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
>Subject: RE: Automated special stains
>Date: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 10:53:00 -0500
>
>Andrea,
>The special stain kits are not $1000.  Yes it takes approx. 1 hour or more
>for the more complicated stains, and you can stain only 20 slides on each
>module. But, you can stain a multiple staining procedures at the same time,
>(GMS, Retic, PAS and many others).  Being a walk away system this allows 
>you
>to do other things while your slides are staining.  My technician love 
>ours.
>I did an extensive cost analysis before we bought the system and found that
>it was less expensive when you consider hands on tech time.
>
>Donna Willis
>Histology Lab Manager
>Harris Methodist Fort Worth, Texas
>  ----------
>From: Andrea Kaj
>To: HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
>Subject: Automated special stains
>Date: Tuesday, July 27, 1999 3:55AM
>
>There was a comment from last week that I just can't let go off. Robin F
>told that a lab payed $1000 for a (one!) special stain kit from Ventana.
>My, it sounds grotesque. That is around the amount I spend yearly on powder
>and regents for special stains (well not totally, but close enough). Also, 
>I
>have heard that a run with 20 slides takes around one hour - in that time I
>can stain 50-100 slides with various special stains. Doesn't sound optimal
>to me.
>Usually the dyes last for one week (with a daily top-up), and the powders
>are almost of eternal life. So why accept these expensive kits with an
>expiry less than 9 months?
>Is it low volume labs that benefit from this kind of automation?
>I welcome technical improvements and automation, but this, I do not know 
>who
>benefits besides from the vendor......?
>Other opinions most welcome. Andrea.
>
>
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