[Histonet] Re: Histonet Digest, Vol 39, Issue 41

Sun Feb 25 13:08:18 CST 2007

Hi Mary Beth..
That's a hazard of a well ventilated lab...the ribbons may blow all over the place so it seems you cut everything twice and waste tissue..and cutting thin is a challenge. 
If blowing on the ribbon as I'm cutting doesn't help, one of my tricks is to use a 50/50 dilution of fabric softener spritzed onto a kimwipe, gauze, tissue or paper towel and place them in the paraffin shavings catcher thingy..but we have Microms which have the waste catcher built in.. Sometimes in utter frustration, I've sprayed and wiped down the entire front of the machine..
Keeping moisture near the blade but not touching it- either with water or the Downey solution - seem to help..most of the techs I work with notice the difference. I compare it to putting a plant on stones and putting water in the stones to provide an area of humidity around the plant which needs the extra moisture but not water in it's root system. 
It's either THAT or just might could be that the histology gremlins like the smell of the Downey ;-)
ALSO, we clean the microtome with oil..that wintergreen smelling stuff? - instead of xylene..I think that makes a difference as well..perhaps the oil helps manage the static a bit.. 
I've known techs to swear by Static guard and one of the vendors makes an anti static solution that probably costs a fortune and is nothing more than DI water..Another tech I knew wiped the front of the blade holder with absolute alcohol. 
Another little trick I use to cut thin sections is to use a dilute glycerin/water solution to wet the faced off block with. I try not to soak anything with water. You could try a buffer solution instead of water. 
Good luck !!

Cheers...
Pam Vlies HTASCP
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
Evanston Il
pamvlies <@t> sbcglobal.net

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Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2007 11:59:12 AM
Subject: Histonet Digest, Vol 39, Issue 41

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Today's Topics:

   1. Microtome problems (mkaulahao <@t> bellsouth.net)
   2. Re: Microtome problems (Dawn Cowie)
   3. Re: Microtome problems (Rene J Buesa)

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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2007 6:24:57 -0500
From: <mkaulahao <@t> bellsouth.net>
Subject: [Histonet] Microtome problems
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID:
    <20070225112457.GPR12624.ibm64aec.bellsouth.net <@t> mail.bellsouth.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi everyone,
This is my first message. I just found this site and hope anyone can help..and I'm a histotech NOT a speller. We moved into a new lab in October 2006. It is really nice compared to our old one. The ventalation is great. There is no fume smell at all. Also there is no humidity. I have NEVER had so much trouble cutting. We got a humidifier but it doesn't seem to do any good. I can't get a ribbon to form but only on bigger specimens. The biopsies (gi,bladder etc) seem to cut ok. Now suddenly the pathologist is asking for thinner sections. He is convinced we need a new mictotome that ours is not cutting right. We have a Lietz and have had it since 1994, We cut on 4um. It takes us twice as long to cut as it ever has. I have spoken to the engineers and they say they can't put any moisture in the air. How can the biopsies cut ok but the big specimens be too thick?
Mary Beth

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

Message: 2
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2007 05:32:06 -0800 (PST)
From: Dawn Cowie <dlcowie <@t> prodigy.net>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Microtome problems
To: mkaulahao <@t> bellsouth.net, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <748960.32009.qm <@t> web81001.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

hi Mary Beth,
  If you think humidity may be the problem, try placing a piece of warm damp gauze on either side of the microtome (as close to the blade holder as possible). This has worked for me sometimes. You can also try spraying static guard around the blade holder area.

  Dawn L. Cowie, HT (ASCP)
  Histology Supervisor
  Pensacola Pathologists, PA
  Pensacola, FL

mkaulahao <@t> bellsouth.net wrote:
  Hi everyone,
This is my first message. I just found this site and hope anyone can help..and I'm a histotech NOT a speller. We moved into a new lab in October 2006. It is really nice compared to our old one. The ventalation is great. There is no fume smell at all. Also there is no humidity. I have NEVER had so much trouble cutting. We got a humidifier but it doesn't seem to do any good. I can't get a ribbon to form but only on bigger specimens. The biopsies (gi,bladder etc) seem to cut ok. Now suddenly the pathologist is asking for thinner sections. He is convinced we need a new mictotome that ours is not cutting right. We have a Lietz and have had it since 1994, We cut on 4um. It takes us twice as long to cut as it ever has. I have spoken to the engineers and they say they can't put any moisture in the air. How can the biopsies cut ok but the big specimens be too thick?
Mary Beth

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Message: 3
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2007 07:19:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Rene J Buesa <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Microtome problems
To: mkaulahao <@t> bellsouth.net, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <20070225151926.72418.qmail <@t> web61217.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

How many times your Leitz microtome has been serviced since 1994? I think you should have it serviced (overhawlled) before starting to worry about humidity. If the microtome has some adjustment problems they will be more evident in large blocks than in smaller ones (biopsies) due to less resistance in the smaller ones.
  Also think that if you are in a new lab your microtome had to be MOVED from the old one, and some disadjustments may hace occurred while moving to the new lab.
  Have it serviced!
  René J.

mkaulahao <@t> bellsouth.net wrote:
  Hi everyone,
This is my first message. I just found this site and hope anyone can help..and I'm a histotech NOT a speller. We moved into a new lab in October 2006. It is really nice compared to our old one. The ventalation is great. There is no fume smell at all. Also there is no humidity. I have NEVER had so much trouble cutting. We got a humidifier but it doesn't seem to do any good. I can't get a ribbon to form but only on bigger specimens. The biopsies (gi,bladder etc) seem to cut ok. Now suddenly the pathologist is asking for thinner sections. He is convinced we need a new mictotome that ours is not cutting right. We have a Lietz and have had it since 1994, We cut on 4um. It takes us twice as long to cut as it ever has. I have spoken to the engineers and they say they can't put any moisture in the air. How can the biopsies cut ok but the big specimens be too thick?
Mary Beth

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End of Histonet Digest, Vol 39, Issue 41
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