[Histonet] block alignment

[Bonnie Whitaker]

I absolutely agree with you!!

Bonnie Whitaker


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of
amosbrooks <@t> earthlink.net
Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 9:34 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] block alignment


Jeanine,
     I like to think about it as if I were the patient. If I had a focal
lesion and it was on the surface of the block and some one decided that it
would be easier to re-embed and re-face the block than to align the
microtome and the lesion was faced off, I'd be really upset. Re-embedding
the blocks is a rather dumb idea because you need to cut into the block to
get a full face anyway, there is bound to be tissue loss. Aligning the block
is a really quick process that can be done easily once you are familiar with
doing it. You just need to know what to do. Know the tools you are working
with and life will be easier for everyone. Re-embedding all the blocks is
going to take a lot of time (you certainly aren't saving time with that
option) and you are introducing another potential source of problems. What
if the cassettes accidentally got switched or tissue from one block got
mixed in with tissue from another. It can easily happen when re-embedding a
LOT of blocks. It's just not worth it, re-align don't re-embed unless it's
absolutly necessary.

Just my $0.02
Amos


------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2005 13:42:22 -0500
From: "Bartlett, Jeanine" <JQB7 <@t> CDC.GOV>
Subject: [Histonet] block alignment
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID:
        <CB857F6460D42E4AAEA195054A25406C050B55B2 <@t> m-ncid-2.ncid.cdc.gov>
Content-Type: text/plain;       charset="us-ascii"

Hi:
 
Does anyone out there have any experience with block alignment products such
as the Microtome Aligner from Newcomer or the Histo Collimator?  We receive
a huge number of outside blocks and I adjust my block holder accordingly,
but others in the group say it's easier to re-embed all outside blocks
(Yikes!) and then have every microtome aligned the same. I was just
wondering if these aligners work and if so perhaps it could be an
alternative for those individuals that normally would rather re-embed than
realign.
 
Thanks!
Jeanine Bartlett, HT(ASCP)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infectious Disease Pathology Activity
1600 Clifton Road, MS/G-32
Atlanta, GA 30333

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