I agree with Teri. The TBS representative gave our lab a couple to try and
I like them a lot. The also sell through VWR. However, you might be able
to still get some life out of the pens you are currently using by dipping
the tip briefly in Ethanol. 

Nima Farsinejad
Research Specialist
Digestive Diseases
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia


On Fri, 8 Jun 2001, Teri Johnson wrote:

> Date: Fri, 08 Jun 2001 07:20:18 -0500
> From: Teri Johnson <terij@prlnet.com>
> To: histonet <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
> Subject: Re: Dry marking pens
> 
> We've changed to the TBS marking pens. They have replaceable tips that, when
> the originals are flat or no longer working well, can be pulled out and
> replaced, thus adding additional life to the pen. They are manufactured
> through Triangle Biomedical Sciences, Inc. and their catalog number for the
> pens are MP-B for the black ink pens and MP-RT for the replacement tips. We
> get ours through Allegiance, though you could probably find them from other
> sources. The really cool part is priming them by pressing the tip 5 or 6
> times to get the ink flowing. Any time they seem like they've dried up, all
> you have to do is re-prime or, as mentioned before, replace the tip.
> 
> Hope this helps!
> 
> Teri Johnson, HT(ASCP)
> Physicians Reference Laboratory
> Overland Park, KS
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Allen, Steven <sallen@lrri.org>
> To: <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
> Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2001 12:39 PM
> Subject: Dry marking pens
> 
> 
> > I am finding that the tips on my solvent-resistant marking pens are prone
> to
> > drying out.  I may label a couple hundred slides and store the pen for a
> few
> > days.  I always secure the cap firmly and lay it down sideways.  When I
> try
> > to use the pen again, the tip won't flow ink even after repeated writing.
> I
> > have tried getting the pen to write on slides and paper with no luck. I
> have
> > tried storing the pens with the tips pointing down with no luck.  Out of
> > curiosity, I cut one of the bad pens in half and the cartridge inside
> > appeared to still have ink.
> >
> > Can anybody offer me some advice on how to get the ink flowing again?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Steve Allen
> > Research Technologist
> > Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute
> > Albuquerque, NM
> > (505)845-1122
> > sallen@lrri.org