[Histonet] Ventana Benchmark Problems

[Tarango, Mark]

I'm with you on this one!  The kits and reagents are very expensive and
the hit and miss staining drives me nuts.  I have to re-stain the same
slide over and over again because the control stained and the patient
tissue didn't have any reactive elements or there was no staining at
all.  

I also can't stand that the instrument won't stain slides because I run
out of something like EZprep, which just dewaxes the slide.  If I run a
slide down to water and put it on the instrument why should it need
EZrep? I mean, there is no paraffin on the slide and the protocol has
been modified accordingly, so I think the stupid thing should run.  

Another thing, what is the deal with the expiration dates?  Their kits
are the most expensive and expire the soonest.  After they expire,
they're dead.  Not even for research purposes or if there were an
emergency could you get the machine to run with an expired kit. 



Mark Adam Tarango HT(ASCP)
Histology/Immunohistochemistry Supervisor
Nevada Cancer Institute
One Breakthrough Way
Las Vegas, NV  89135
mtarango <@t> nvcancer.org
Direct Line (702) 822-5112
Fax (702) 939-7663

  


-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Joe
Nocito
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 4:48 PM
To: Bates Robert R Maj MIL USAF 96 MDSS/SGSAH;
histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Ventana Benchmark Problems

yes and it's not even Friday yet.
Hey Doc,
we have 3 of these "great" machines and it drives us nuts also. Make it
a 
point, in fact, demand that an engineering rep come out. We have had
items 
replaced such as the vortex mixer, heating pads, the entire carousel
many 
times, yet for some strange reason, we keep getting more and more.
    The big thing now is we switched to their polymer detection kit and
you 
talk about fits. All our slides have a hit and miss on staining
endogenous 
peroxidase. Our rabbit and mouse negative controls stain as brightly as
our 
primaries. Yes, we had two "wiz" kids out and I was not impressed. A
senior 
specialist is coming to my lab to figure out the problem. You see me
holding 
my breath.
    I told the group not to go ahead with the Ventana machines, but they

blew me off. Said I had an attitude problem because I was screwed over
when 
I was at Wilford Hall. Gee, maybe I was on to something. Now, we are in
so 
deep we'll never get out.
    If it was my lab, I would have went with Biocare's Nemesis, but like
I 
said, it's not my lab.
    If you can change machines, I would. Save yourself a lot of headache
and 
money.
    Now, I expect all the Ventana reps and their lawyers to contact my
CEO 
tomorrow. Go ahead, make my day. Save yourself the phone call. Whatever
I 
said here, I will say in court too.
    Of course, the opinion expressed by me is not the opinion of my 
pathologists, CEO, their lawyers, their wives, off spring, their off
spring 
and their dogs and cats.

Joe Nocito BS, PA, HT(ASCP)QIHC
Histology Manager
Pathology Reference Lab
San Antonio, TX
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bates Robert R Maj MIL USAF 96 MDSS/SGSAH" 
<robert.bates <@t> eglin.af.mil>
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2006 2:23 PM
Subject: [Histonet] Ventana Benchmark Problems


> Hello,
>
>
>
> We have a Ventana Benchmark that has been giving my histotechs fits. 
> There
> are times when the staining is hit or miss.  Other times the controls
will
> not stain properly but the specimen tissue does or visa versa.  We
have
> troubleshot the machine numerous times without success.  We call the
aid
> line and do the things they recommend and it 'may' work for a while
and 
> then
> it reverts back to the hit or miss schedule.  We have tried random
tissue
> sections that have know positive properties (such as smooth muscle
tissue
> stained with smooth muscle actin) and even observed internal tissue 
> controls
> to see if they react properly.  Has anyone else had this type of
problem
> with this machine?  Any ideas or suggestions would be most welcome.
>
>
>
> Dr. Robert R. Bates Jr
>
> Florida
>
> _______________________________________________
> Histonet mailing list
> Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet 


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"MMS <nvcancer.org>" made the following annotations.
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