[Histonet] Stain consulting services

[Martin, Erin]

Good morning all!


We are having a problem with our H&E.  My chief pathologist believes that we have day to day variations in intensity as well as variations from slide to slide (even within a rack), and that the hematoxylin gets darker as the week goes on.  We use 2 automated Sakura Prisma strainers and now use all pre-made, purchased solutions (to rule out human error in prep).  We run A LOT of controls, 4 (different blocks) on each stainer at the beginning of the day before patient cases, another set after all patient cases, and then another set after we rotate the reagents at the end of the day, for a total of 24 per day.  Unfortunately the staining on all the controls looks the same and my chief pathologist says that control slides are not useful in the illustration of the problem.


So I have two questions from him:

  1.
 Have those using Richard Allan Hematoxylin 7212 noticed this problem?  He believes that there must have been a change in formulation or quality
  2.
Does anyone know of a consulting service that will come in and work on this problem?  I have made all the changes and QC checks that I can think of.  The problem is obviously outside of my ability to solve.


Thank you in advance for any advice or consulting recommendations!


Have a lovely Wednesday!

Erin


Erin Martin, Histology Supervisor
UCSF Dermatopathology and Oral Pathology Service
1701 Divisadero Street, RM 230
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-353-7248

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