[Histonet] Re: Paper biopsy bags also called "tea bags"

[RSRICHMOND <@t> aol.com]

Vikki Baker asks:
>>I'm looking to buy the paper biopsy bags for our smaller tissues. We used 
to get them from Fisher, but they have discontinued it. Is anyone out there 
getting these still?<<

These are actually made of a porous nylon mesh. There's more than one size, 
and you want the smallest. It's handy to have a small plastic funnel to pour 
the fixative and the specimen through the bag. The mesh is very fine, and almost 
nothing escapes from it.

These were available from Shandon about six years ago. I guess you can still 
get them from whatever Shandon is called this week. I don't have a catalog.

They're called "tea bags" because a lot of people used to buy empty tea bags 
to enclose small specimens, more convenient for both the grosser and the 
embedder than the traditional lens paper. Tea bags are made out of very long-staple 
abaca fiber. I think they're obsolete in the histologiy lab, and I don't know 
whether they're still available at all.

I've recently acquired an elderly locum tenens client (sheesh, he's only a 
year and a half younger than ME) who still insists on using lens paper.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN