[Histonet] Removing coverslipping tape

[Jackie O'Connor]

Just a note on coverslipping tape - I love it - this is the first place in 40+ years I've used it, and it's good stuff.   HOWEVER, I noticed a brown cornflaking artefact on some tissues when I first arrived in this job - and we fixed it.   If the last dehydrating step (100%) ethanol has the least little tiny pink from eosin - trace amounts of H20 remain on the slide even through xylene.  IF you were using traditional glass coverslips and synthetic mounting medium - this trace H20 is absorbed by the mounting medium.  However, the tape is not as forgiving. This trace amount of moisture shows up as brown spots on the tissue.  I've proven this theory by removing the tape from affected slides, backing them through xylene to very clean 100%, clear through xylene and remounting with glass.  The brown artefact disappears.  In this instance it could have been mistaken for melanin on a section of rodent tongue.  
Jackie O'


-----Original Message-----
From: Breeden, Sara <sbreeden <@t> nmda.nmsu.edu>
To: histonet <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Mon, Feb 27, 2012 11:32 am
Subject: [Histonet] Removing coverslipping tape


Soak the slide in acetone for 10-15 minutes; it turns to something that
ooks like a slice of Jell-O and slithers down the slide, leaving cells
nd stain and structure in perfect order.  I usually dip the slide in
ylene a couple times to clear the acetone and re-coverslip it.  Works
ike a charm.  LOVE the coverslipping tape!
 
I'm down to 20 days until I retire!  Not that I'm counting or
nything...
 
Sally Breeden, HT(ASCP)
New Mexico Department of Agriculture
Veterinary Diagnostic Services
1101 Camino de Salud NE
Albuquerque, NM  87102
505-383-9278 (Histology Lab)
 
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