[Histonet] Sakura Rapid Tissue Processor

[Jean Warren]

We have the Sakura rapid tissue processor at my hospital lab, which is a 
large private hospital. We have had it three years and it has been somewhat 
of a disappointment::

We have been told that you should not process breasts in it, because you will not get reliable 
results for FISH.

Its implementation has created schedule changes that have caused some good 
techs to leave.

The scenario to get a case out the same day is rare.
If a patient has surgery at 7 am and we receive it by 8 am, it is accessioned 
and grossed in.
Except for biopsies, the specimen still will need 2 hours fixation in formalin. When 
we receive it in Histology at 1030 am, it must go in pre-processing solution 
for 30 minutes. At 1100, we process it for approx 1 hour.
Then embed, cut and stain. Our docs would get it well after lunch and, if all is 
OK, they can get the report out.
And, there are not many cases that meet that time criterion.

One other drawback is that it is more labor intensive to handle 10 blocks 
ten times a day than to handle 100 at one time. Our lab processes from 
400-750 blocks a day and less than 100 a day are processed on that processor. All we are handling on the instrument are bxs, bone marrows and cytology blocks. If too large a specimen is placed on it,  we usually have a problem. Endometrial bxs, skins and cones have not had favorable results.

On the other hand, biopsies, especially livers, look and cut better. Our 
hematology expert wants all bone marrows done that way. We also rapid 
process most cytology that way, but bloody cases still need formalin 
fixation.

It is much simpler to change the processor ( and more expensive ).

We tried to do most specimens on it with terrible failure. If anyone gets it, I 
would recommend starting slowly with a few specimen types and gradually 
adding.

Our hope is that it will be more useful in the future.

I know, rather wordy answer!