[Histonet] Purple blue haze

Wed Dec 21 12:10:20 CST 2005

Funny about this paraffin problem --- we were using Surgipath paraffin, and we noticed that the paraffin looked "dirty" with some kind of sediment floating in it.  So we switched to Richard Allan Type 9, and we've had no problems with it!  We've been happy with the Richard Allan so far.

Karen Raterman
St. Mary's Health Center
St. Louis, MO
krat18 <@t> aol.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Laurie Colbert <laurie.colbert <@t> huntingtonhospital.com>
To: Andrea Grantham <algranth <@t> u.arizona.edu>; Histonet (E-mail) <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 15:12:17 -0800
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Purple blue haze

Your discussion rang a bell with me, and I've been meaning to call Richard 
Allan.  We use their Type 9 paraffin, and for the last 3 or 4 months it also has 
been "blowing apart on the waterbath."  We lowered the temp on the waterbaths, 
and this seems to have helped.  Our housekeeping personnel have even noticed a 
difference in the paraffin (scraping it off the floor).  They say it is stickier 
lately.  I think something has been changed.

Laurie Colbert
Huntington Hospital
Pasadena, CA

-----Original Message-----
From: Andrea Grantham [mailto:algranth <@t> u.arizona.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 1:20 PM
To: Histonet (E-mail)
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Purple blue haze

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               :
: (office:  AHSC 4212)          P.O. Box 245044                     :
: (voice:  520-626-4415)        Tucson, AZ  85724-5044    USA       :
: (FAX:  520-626-2097)          (email:  algranth <@t> u.arizona.edu)       :
:...................................................................:
           http://www.cba.arizona.edu/histology-lab.html

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet