[Histonet] Blade Rationing / Blade Conservation

[Gagnon, Eric]

Desperately trying to salvage something positive out of this justifiably acrimonious thread...may I suggest the following blade conservation strategy, that though perhaps well-known, hasn't come up in this discussion yet.

By using one blade as a trimming blade, the 'edge' on the next blade will be conserved for actual sectioning.  Similarly, when cutting levels, one-half of a blade can be used for rough trimming, then the same blade pushed across into the cutting zone for the actual sectioning.

Also, if during trimming a hard/calcified/stapled section is found, perform microtomy on that block last, after trying to minimize the negative effects on cutting.

Perhaps by conserving blades in these and other ways, some cost-savings can be found for the penny-wise manager!

Hope this helps,
Eric Gagnon MLT
Histology Laboratory
Kingston General Hospital
Kingston, Ontario, Canada

>I work in a hospital, there are three of us on this particular shift and we cut approx. 200 blocks, give or take a few.  Our histo lab manager is telling us we should only be using one pack of blades (50 per pack) a month.  I'm wondering what other techs think of this especially lab managers and supervisors.
tmoore9k <@t> gmail.com