[Histonet] Problems with processors and dehydration

[Rene J Buesa]

I am also at a loss. The unnamed manufacturer seems to have produced an unreliable machine, except for the initial 2½ years it worked fine. I also agree with you that if anything the tissues would be over-processed with your protocol. Now if your whole protocol is the same (including fixation) as when the machine worked correctly you can be sure the problem is in the machine both the initial one and the loaner.
My recommendation? Talk with the lab administrator and explain the whole situation and budget for a new tissue processor and count your loses. This will be better than making a wrong diagnosis to a patient because of a poorly processed tissue and been found liable for it.
You could always start fiddling with reagents and times but I do not think you will solve the problem.
Start anew with another issue processor.
René J.
On Saturday, April 12, 2014 9:43 PM, H R <hrfulklab <@t> gmail.com> wrote:
  
I have had some horrible luck with a processor that was purchased new 3
years ago, I won't mention the name. It worked great for 2.5 years, perfect
specimens coming off. Then problems started with clogged lines , long
drains skipped stations, etc. The company took it back to "work"on it b/c
they couldn't figure out what was wrong, they gave me a loaner of the same
kind, used it for a month and the computer went out on it and it spewed
paraffin all over inside of machine and lab floor, so the sent me one of
their "latest" models to use while they rebuilt my original processor.
  I used it for a couple of weeks and their was something wrong with the
tissue, I couldn't put my finger on it and I thought I just needed to tweek
the program. I was running an identical program to my original processor
and it wasn't working well. Meanwhile, they send back my original machine,
supposedly rebuilt, and want me to use it and make sure it's going to work
before they pick up the latest model they were letting me use. I use my
original machine for a week, get wonderful results and the clogged lines
start again.Go back to the latest model and am having a horrible time,
specimens are almost unreadable. Anything bigger than a shave, is horrible.
  I don't believe it's fixation, they are spongy and puff up on the ice and
peel out of section when cut, which makes me believe poor dehydration. I
don't know how that can be, I am running an overnight protocol with 2
formalins, 80% alc, 95% alc, 3-100% acl, 3 xylenes 4 paraffins, all of at
least an hour a piece. If anything , they should be overprocess! I don't
get any alarms on the machine, I am at a loss, the company is at a loss
with all of it, I think it's poor equipment all around. Any suggestions?
--
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