I have one MD who sends me skin biopsies this way. He orients then so
that if I cut the very tip off and use a wooden applicatir to push the
OCT blob out, I can embed the  cone shape on the chuck and still maintain
proper orientation. It only takes a moment to thaw the OCT directly
against the mircrofuge tube, enough to loosen the OCT blob and still cold
enough around the tissue to prevent loss of orientation and subsequent
freeze-thaw artifact. 
dlongwoodward@bics.bwh.harvard.edu


On Fri, 14 May 1999 10:00:51 -0400 "Patterson, Noelle"
<PattersonN@NMRIPO.NMRI.NNMC.NAVY.MIL> writes:
>I am finding that I have been "spoiled".  Now, I have 2 investigators
>sending me OCT-embedded biopsies in a drop of OCT at the bottom of a
>microfuge tube.  This is after telling both groups to send it to me 
>OCT
>embedded in a base mold/embedding ring.  (spoiled in that, up till 
>now, no
>one has not followed my instructions).  So I need tricks of the trade 
>input.
>How can I get the OCT biopsy drop out of the tube without melting and
>ruining the biopsy, then embed it for cutting?  I suppose it should 
>pop out
>like an ice cube, but the tubes are not that flexible.  Getting it out 
>is
>the main problem...and, of course, they are very important biopsies!  
>
>
>Noelle Patterson
>Naval Medical Research Center
>Bethesda, Md
>pattersonn@NMRIPO.NMRI.NNMC.NAVY.MIL
>
>
>

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