The ingredients of OCT are on the bottle, a Polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene 
glyol and inert ingredients.  They give percentages but not molecular 
weights, that is proprietary.

I had an interesting discussion with Dr. McCormick, inventor of OCT for 
Miles, many years ago and he indicated he could change the ingredients and 
probably the concentrations to have a cryomedia specific for other 
temperatures, colder or warmer than the temperature range for OCT.

Fisherbrand cryoembedding media ingredients used to be on the bottle too.



At 09:03 AM 10/12/2004, you wrote:
>What is this stuff made from?
>It always reminds me of wallpaper hanging gel - something like "Polycell" 
>in England.
>
>Dr Terry L Marshall, B.A.(Law), M.B.,Ch.B.,F.R.C.Path
>  Consultant Pathologist
>  Rotherham General Hospital
>  South Yorkshire
>  England
>         terry.marshall@rothgen.nhs.uk
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Robyn Vazquez [mailto:vazquezr@ohsu.edu]
>Sent: 12 October 2004 15:58
>To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu; kmerriam2003@yahoo.com
>Subject: Re: [Histonet] alternates to OCT embedding media
>
>
>TBS makes a embedding media, but OCT is better.  If you are like me and
>constantly using the media during surgery, TBS bottle is much harder to
>squeeze, as in comparison to the OCT bottle.  And the quality of OCT is
>better.
>
>Robyn
>OHSU
>Portland,OR
>
> >>> Kim Merriam  10/12/2004 7:44:17 AM >>>
>
>Hello all,
>
>I was wondering if anyone knew of alternates to OCT-brand
>cryo-embedding media.  I know that there are other brands of the stuff,
>but it is my understanding that they are all basically made out of the
>same thing.  Does anyone know of any other media that is used to prepare
>frozen blocks?
>
>
>
>Kim Merriam
>Novartis
>Cambridge, MA
>
>---------------------------------
>Do you Yahoo!?
>Express yourself with Y! Messenger! Free. Download now.
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University - Bozeman
PO Box 173610
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-6367 (lab with voice mail)
406 994-4303 (FAX)



_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet