[Histonet] Re: Pap Pen Blues

[Johnson, Teri]

For What It's Worth (FWIW), I pretty well despise Pap pens.  And I
dearly LOVE Gayle's technical term (goo) for the stuff inside them.

They're expensive, but see if you can get various companies to send you
one to try.  We have used them from Dako, Vector, and Biocare. We don't
use them any more.  We have the coverplates from Shandon and that works
well for our hand-staining.

Teri Johnson
Managing Director Histology Facility
Stowers Institute for Medical Research
1000 E. 50th St.
Kansas City, MO 64133



Andrea,

We now use Vectors ImmEdge pens - doesn't come up, and has a hint of 
color.  Cheaper, two to a set. Can remark a slide when wet, although we
do 
blot away moisture, but the pen goo does not lift nor flow across a
section 
if it contacts buffer - been there and have experienced the "Pap pen oil

slick syndrome" that ruins IHC when section gets goo-coated.

To use ImmEdge, be sure to shake pens very vigorously to redistribute
the 
goo (per their instructions).  We vortex them hard to do that job.
Maybe 
the pens you have now need a good vortexing - worth a try for pricey
little 
pens. Pressing the point to start goo is still something that requires 
gentle tough, but I have not had too many problems with that.  Flow is 
generally excellent, right amount.

Gayle Callis
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University - Bozeman
PO Box 173610
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-6367
406 994-4303 (FAX)

At 09:29 AM 9/28/2005, you wrote:
>Hello All,
>
>I have used Zymed Mini Pap pens for years now as through trials and
>tribulations and talking with coworkers we agreed it was the best out 
>there. The pen rarely came up or leaked and gave beautiful results.
Even 
>withstood heat retrieval in DAKO Target Retrieval Solution with no 
>problems. The stuff was indestructible!!
>
>This is until recently ... I have noticed with the past several orders
>that the formula has changed. The pap pen "ink" is now a blue green in 
>color (used to be more generic yellow/beige) and it does not stay on
well 
>at all. I end up going home in a state of frustration every day as I
pap 
>pen hundreds of slides with little success for the entirety of my 
>experiment. Arggggh!
>
>So I have two questions:
>
>(1) Has anyone else noticed this change in formula over the past year 
>or
>so? (It may have been longer as I was working with a stock of pap pens 
>before that)
>(2) Who makes your favorite pap pen?
>
>THANKS!
>Andrea
>--
>
>________________________________