[Histonet] Need Some Heat!

[Bartlett, Jeanine]

The part number is B3120205 and it is called a Para Trimmer...they run
around $500.00.  But honestly, there is no need for scraping blocks if
you embed carefully.  I haven't had to scrape a block (except when I
accidentally tipped one over on the embedding center cooling tray) in
years. 


Jeanine Bartlett, HT(ASCP)
(404) 639-3590 
jeanine.bartlett <@t> cdc.hhs.gov


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Gayle
Callis
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 11:00 AM
To: Mike Cupello; Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Need Some Heat!

Mike,

I have a young lady in the same boat, but her employer is doing nothing
about it although the following device has been recommended. She
resorted to embedding so the paraffin amount is just enough to not
create this problem - a tedious way to do it, but it does work - however
others embedding are not so careful.

Go to Thermo Electron and look for their heated paraffin trimmer with
slanted, heated surface and paraffin capture tray. (ParaTrimmer, not
sure of the name)  - it is a bit pricey, but well worth the money and I
would perosnally love to have one in our lab.

You employee's problem may stem from more than just scraping blocks, and
you need to look at other ergonomics involved with her microtomy,
embedding ,etc etc.  Does she operate the  microtome in an ergonomic
manner, have an ergonomic chair, decent setup for reach, forceps that
help her out, all those good things.  Also what she does outside the lab
may be a factor as the young lady here does some other physical
activities (lots of cell phone dialing is one using her thumb to punch
in the numbers) that contributes to her problems in the lab. Hopefully
Jan Minshew, an expert on ergonomics in the histology laboratory can
help you here too.

At 10:30 PM 1/19/2006, you wrote:
>Hi to all of those out in Histoland...
>
>I was hoping to get some help.  I have an employee who is suffering 
>from tendonitis, and she feels that scraping blocks before trimming is 
>adding to her injury.  I know that there is some sort of device "out 
>there" that uses heat to melt the excess wax from the outside of the 
>block so that it will fit into the microtome chuck.  Does anyone know 
>of a type of heat block or hot knife that could accomplish this?  I am 
>looking for something that will collect the melted wax so that we don't

>have a huge mess to clean up after a day's work.
>
>Thanks for your time,
>
>Mike Cupello.
>_______________________________________________
>Histonet mailing list
>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
>http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet

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)



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