[Histonet] Purple blue haze

[Andrea Grantham]

Karen,
Yes I have recently noticed the "haze" of the H&E stained slides. I have 
been using this hematoxylin for years and this is the first time that I 
have had a problem with it. Like you I have filtered it but it hasn't 
seemed to help.
I also have been using their Type 6 paraffin and in the last few months 
have noticed that it blows apart on the waterbath. I have lowered the temp. 
but it didn't help -> 35-39 degrees C. A different lot number that they 
sent to me was only marginally better. A couple of weeks ago one of my 
clients brought a project consisting of blocks that had been processed and 
embedded here over 4-5 years. The paraffin throughout was RAS Type 6. The 
blocks from the first 4 years cut fine and laid out on the waterbath fine 
but when I got to recently embedded blocks they started the rapid expanding 
and blowing apart when they were placed on the waterbath. A histotech in CA 
told me they have been having the same problem in their lab. 
Hmmmmm.....could they have changed the formula?
Maybe this is so with the Hematoxylin as well.
I'm trying different paraffins looking for one comparable to the Type 6 
only more stable on the waterbath. I really don't want to do this with 
Hematoxylin because my clients love my staining but I hate ugly slides.

Andi



At 11:17 AM 12/20/2005 -0700, Heckford, Karen - SMMC-SF wrote:
>Dear Histonetters,
>Has anyone had any problems with a purple- blue haze on their H&E  using
>Richard Allen Scientific Hematoxylin 7211.  I am currently filtering it.  I
>am still getting the haze.  I have changed nothing,  it just appeared a
>couple of weeks ago.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Happy Holidays,
>
>
>Karen Heckford HT (ASCP) CE
>Lead Histology Technician
>St. Mary's Medical Center
>Histology Department
>450 Stanyan St.
>San Francisco, Ca. 94117
>1-415-668-1000 ext. 6167
>email: kheckfor <@t> chw.edu
>
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

.....................................................................
: Andrea Grantham, HT(ASCP)     Dept. of Cell Biology & Anatomy     :
: Sr. Research Specialist       University of Arizona               :
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