[Histonet] Re: to paraffin problems

[Gayle Callis]

BE sure you stir your paraffin BEFORE embedding.  Polymers and other 
additives can settle to bottom of melted paraffin and this changes nature 
of paraffin, you need to redistribute additives before embedding to have 
your paraffin at its mixture capacity. If you melt paraffin in a separate 
oven and use this pre-melted paraffin in processor, the same thing needs to 
be done, stir before filling your paraffin processing pots/stations.   A 
grocery store has plastic spoons that look like wooden spoons or a good 
wide spatula works nicely.

Check you knife angles, it may NOT be the paraffin, but knife settings. A 
different lot of knives can mean tiny readjustment is needed.  Keep track 
of your lot numbers on paraffin, it helps if you need to contact Surgipaths 
tech services.

At 12:53 PM 8/18/2004, you wrote:

>We recently switched to Surgipath's "Blue Ribbon" paraffin and the techs
>loved it!  Within the past two weeks, they are noticing that the ribbon is
>more compressed and harder to stretch out on the waterbath.  Any ideas as to
>why this would be happening when the product was used for about two months
>with no problem whatsoever??  We are using it in both the processor and the
>embedder and it is a multfunction paraffin.  I like the "blueness" of the
>paraffin, as all of the small biopsies stand out in the paraffin when
>embedded for easier sectioning visualness!  Thanks ahead of time..LOVE the
>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)