[Histonet] biopsy "bags" for processing - alternatives

[Pam Marcum]

Our kidney and liver biopsies are placed in BX bags (tea bags).  The pathologist feel the nylon bags leave a pattern on the tissue and sponges are even worse.  The Gross Room staff and residents also dislike the nylon bags as they feel they are harder to handle and stiff.  Then we in Histology feel exactly the same as Tim's description.  We have tried various things and keep going bag to "tea bag" style biopsy bags.  If anyone has come up with a better idea or product please let us all know.  
Thank You, 
Pam Marcum 
UAMS 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Timothy Morken" <Timothy.Morken <@t> ucsfmedctr.org> 
To: "Histonet" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu> 
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2014 10:24:00 AM 
Subject: [Histonet] biopsy "bags" for processing - alternatives 

All knowing Histonet, 

Our grossing staff uses nylon "biopsy bags" to enclose some biopsy specimens. The embedding staff find them troublesome because when they pull the bags open they tend to "pop" open and throw the tissue off in all directions. They have to be very careful opening these. Is there another bag made of some other material that is less prone to this problem? 

For various reasons some of these samples can't be put on sponges. They do wrap some in flat biopsy paper, but not others. It seems to be a grossing personal preference more than anything else. 

Thanks for any and all info! 

Tim Morken 
Supervisor, Histology, Electron Microscopy and Neuromuscular Special Studies 
UC San Francisco Medical Center 
Box 1656 
505 Parnassus Ave 
San Francisco, CA 94143 
USA 

415.514-6042  (office) 
tim.morken <@t> ucsfmedctr.org<mailto:tim.morken <@t> ucsfmedctr.org> 


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