[Histonet] pencil lead deposits on top of sections

[Gayle Callis]

Unfortunately,  pencil lead exfoliates as pencil lead dust (black deposits) 
that end up as tiny black blobs on top of stained sections.  This happens 
when people are heavy handed and hold the slide where pencil is used for 
labeling rather than on edges of slides and contaminate the waterbath.  We 
have also observed pencil lead dust deposits on bottom of first processing 
station e.g. 70% alcohol.

Been there, had it, and prefer to fight with pricey little Secureline 
markers, even StatLab pens have some issues, like smearing unless you give 
them a tidge of drying time.   We often pre-label slides and cassettes in 
our insure marker is totally dry with either of these pens.   Being in 
research lab is easier to accomplish this task versus a clinical, hospital 
lab where slides are marked during microtomy session.  We have never had 
Secureline wash off our plastic cassettes nor  slides, with exception of 
red Secureline - a total disaster during one processing, the red pens were 
thrown out.

Keep hoping someone will invent the ideal pen, until then ----

At 11:19 AM 7/27/2004, you wrote:
>#2 pencil anyone ?  rarely washes off, Never dries out..........  Wink.
>Just a thought

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)