[Histonet] Technovit 9100 New

[Jack Ratliff]

Cindy,

I have very little experience with the Technovit kits as I predominantly use a  MMA + DBP + Perkadox formulation for both thin and thick section histology. However, in my experience with the Technovit kits, I have discovered for me that the MMA + DBP + Perkadox type of formulation is more consistent, reproducible and overall more flexible for all types of microtomy applications and also for the variety of species (mouse to human) of bone tissue. I have more control over the quality of resin block I can produce with an MMA + DBP + Perkadox formulation, thin sections can be deplastified and staining is more routine and flexible.

As for mounting thin microtomed sections, you need to coat your slides with some type of adhesive so that your sections will stay mounted throughout staining. I use Haupt's adhesive to coat my glass slides, along with an aluminum slide press and oven to activate the Haupt's media and complement the adhesion process. There is a step by step process that I can share with you if interested to help accomplish the section adhesion.

Now with regards to cracking/crazing of ground (thick) sections in the presence of certain stains. I believe the best way to describe this is that these experiences are proportional to the density or hardness of the resin. If you have a hard resin section (based upon the overall hardness of you resin block), some chemicals will act to make the section brittle and crack similar to prolonged use of xylenes with undeminerized bone processing or prolonged paraffin infiltration is a soft tissue application.

Jack

On Aug 24, 2010, at 7:57 PM, C B <clb1158 <@t> yahoo.com> wrote:

> Anyone using Technovit 9100 for microtome and/or ground sections?  Do you use 
> the routine Plus slides for mounting microtome sections or do the sections 
> require another type of adhesive?  When staining the ground sections,  do you 
> have any problems with certain solutions causing cracking/crazing?
> Cindy Baranowski, HT (ASCP)
> Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute
> Atlanta, Ga
> 
> 
> 
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