[Histonet] effect of power outage on tissue processor

[Matthew Fleming]

Folks,

I'm just wondering about the effects of a power outage on the tissue in a
tissue processor. I have a small dermatopathology lab, which moved about a
year ago to a location more prone to power outages. Last weekend the power
was out for about 7 hours, which meant that the tissue was in 100% alcohol
for about 5 hours, when it is programmed for 2, I believe. The tech who cut
the tissue said it seemed a little dehydrated, but the slides looked fine.

After that, I got a quote for an automatic backup generator for the
building, but it came in at $20,000, which was much more than I was
expecting and an expense I'd certainly like to avoid if possible. I spoke
to the guy who maintains my equipment, who said our tissue processor (a
Sakura E300) should not be harmed by a power outage and would pick up where
it left off once the power returns. He also said that it can sense when the
paraffin in the supply bins is melted and wouldn't try to use any wax that
isn't.

But still, a power outage could certainly mean that the tissue remains in a
solution longer than programmed, as happened last weekend. My question is,
how much of a risk does this pose? Could it damage the tissue so much as to
make the ultimate sections uninterpretable?

I should mention that I know when the power goes out, because the building
has a fire alarm connected to a monitoring service that calls when the
power goes out. So, as an alternative to spending $20K, I could get a
manual generator and just go in and plug it in when the power goes out, or
if it is out for more than an hour or two.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Matthew Fleming, MD
Fleming Dermatopathology
Brown Deer, WI