You are quite correct, you are trying to create the path of least resistance
for your knife. I wish more Histologists would pay more attention to their
embedding technique, it would certainly make life easier and improve the
quality of the finished section.

		Liam Brennan
		Belfast City Hospital
-----Original Message-----
From: Jackie.O'Connor@abbott.com [mailto:Jackie.O'Connor@abbott.com] 
Sent: 19 September 2002 20:06
To: Nita Searcy
Cc: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Re: Embedding



Nita -
I worked in a derm lab (for Surgipath years ago) and found the best way to
embed skin was just as you described - so you don't hit one hard piece of
epithelium and chip out your whole "straight' line.  I've trained histotechs
to embed this way as well, with all tissues, not just skin.  The denser or
harder area of the tissue always is the last to pass the knife edge so you
section the softer areas first, avoiding dragging cutting artifact from hard
tissue and tearing through the soft.  Does that make sense to you guys?

Jackie O'Connor
Global Pharmaceutical Research and Development
Abbott Laboratories
Drug Discovery -Chemotheraputics
Abbott Park, IL  60064
Jackie.O'Connor@abbott.com


 

                    Nita Searcy

                               cc:

                                         Subject:     Embedding

                    09/19/2002

                    01:26 PM

 

 





I have a question regarding "proper embedding"---I have been practicing for
35
yrs., am at new position and funny thing, I do things incorrectly---


Anyway, correct embedding--epithelium from skin - "all going same way" but I
embed on a slant not  in a straight row. The knife blade hits one piece at a
time not the entire
"straight " line.

Glenda Hoye and the instructors- do you have a reference?