[Histonet] RE: Sakura Tape coverslipper Help

[Susan Owens]

>Subject: [Histonet] Sakura Tape coverslipper Help
>I am having a problem with the tape leaving brownish dry spots on harder 
>tissues and even some smaller skin tags. We are using plenty of xylene on 
>each slide. >Has anyone seen this Problem using the tape?  I am wondering 
>if our xylene is the problem.  The xylene we are using is good quality, but 
>it is called XYLENES >with an "S" on the end.  The coverslipper is brand 
>new and functions great.  I just can't figure out the dry spots in the 
>tissue. Plase Help !

>Scott Hendricksen HT(ASCP)

Yes Scott, we've had the same problem for years. BUT ONLY on 'knee' 
specimens. We tried everything we could think of. Nothing seemed to solve 
the problem. And it ONLY effects our 'knee' sections. For us, no other 
tissue from any part of the body is effected. Yes it is a drying, you can 
actually see it spread across the section if you catch it early.... Since it 
only effects our 'knee' sections, we bunch the 'knee' slides, stain them 
together, and hand coverslip them. No problem with the hand 
coverslipping.... New xylene, distilled xylene, length of time in xylene, 
thickness of section, nothing we looked into corrected the problem...Now I 
will say that I seem to remember that ultra thin sections took longer for 
the effect to happen, but in the end, even the thinnest knee sections showed 
the drying effect to some degree.

Sorry I don't have better news, maybe someone else in HistoLand knows the 
answer.

Susan