Fwd: Re: [Histonet] freezing of specimens in surgery center

[Gayle Callis]

>Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 11:47:57 -0600
>To: "Elizabeth Chlipala" <liz <@t> premierlab.com>
>From: Gayle Callis <gcallis <@t> montana.edu>
>Subject: Re: [Histonet] freezing of specimens in surgery center
>
>Liz,
>
>They great cause for concern. They will have to have an explosion proof 
>freezer for storage.  It is highly explosive, flammable.   Histologic had 
>the disaster article on what happened at U of Arkansas at 2 am one morning 
>written by Bob Skinner.  Donna Montague sent me photos also.  When 
>isopentane fumes due to improper strorage in a regular freezer were 
>exposed to spark of freezer cycling, it blew up and burned the lab, cost 
>the university $250,000 to get it all squared away and it took out some 
>very expensive furniture, melted metal, etc.   Luckily no one was killed 
>OR injured.
>
>At 10:58 AM 5/24/2005, you wrote:
>>Hello Histonetters
>>
>>I have a unique question.  We are currently starting to set up procedure
>>for collecting samples from a clinical trial.  The clinical trial
>>involves taking multiple synovial biopsies at a surgery center.  Since
>>portions of the samples need to be processed for frozen sections we
>>wanted to be able to freeze the specimens at the surgery center via
>>isopentane cooled liquid nitrogen.  We really do not want to have to
>>transport the multiple specimens back to the main lab prior to freezing
>>due to the time involved it would probably be 1-2 hours post biopsy
>>before we could freeze the samples.  The surgery center is questioning
>>the flammability of the isopentane.  Has anyone encountered anything
>>like this?  Any suggestions would be helpful.  Thanks in advance.
>>
>>Liz
>>
>>Elizabeth A. Chlipala, BS, HTL(ASCP)QIHC
>>Manager
>>Premier Laboratory, LLC
>>P.O. Box 18592
>>Boulder, Colorado 80308
>>Office: (303) 735-5001
>>Fax: (303) 735-3540
>>liz <@t> premierlab.com
>>www.premierlab.com
>>
>>Ship to Address:
>>Premier Laboratory
>>University of Colorado
>>MCDB, Room A3B40
>>Boulder, Colorado 80309
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Histonet mailing list
>>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/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)