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<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Dr. Hessler wrote: "...</span></font><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>what
advantages do these have over traditional steel other than you don't clean
them? As steel basically has an unlimited lifespan, are the disposable molds
really cost effective in a clinical laboratory."</span></font><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Plastic molds:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Disadvantages:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Very high cost (although they can be
reused for a while - just don't store in the heated space of the
embedding center or they get warped)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hard to orient fragments due to some kind
of electrostatic forces that move the pieces around.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=GramE><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Slow to cool -
again hard to work with small fragments and skin when you want to orient them a
certain way.</span></font></span><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> (<span class=GramE>though</span>
some may see as an advantage)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Not as flat on the face as metal, so more
trimming - bad for very small specimens.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Do not hold heat the way metal does, so
cools faster on the sides when time is spent orienting tissue. I see many more <span
class=SpellE>mis</span>-oriented tissues in plastic molds, and <span
class=SpellE>mis</span>-oriented mold/cassette problems (block face is <span
class=SpellE>mis</span>-oriented to the cassette back, which means the block
face is at an angle in the <span class=SpellE>microtome</span> chuck...=
more trimming).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Advantages:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The sides of the mold are more vertical
than the metal mold so a bit easier to cut (smaller face, sharper edge)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Easy to take off the block (metal molds
are often difficult to remove)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Metal:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Advantages<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Very low cost, last forever<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Flat face<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Cool fast<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Disadvantage<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Sometimes difficult to remove - use
mold release (but that does take time and requires cleaning the molds daily in <span
class=SpellE>xylene</span>/alcohol - we put them in the tissue processor
and run the clean cycle)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='tab-stops:41.25pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Cracked
blocks? I haven't seen that as a problem. It is mainly in large blocks.
You can put them on a piece of paper over the cooling plate to avoid that.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='tab-stops:41.25pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='tab-stops:41.25pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>It seems
the only real advantage of the plastic is the shorter time spent taking the
mold off the block and avoiding the time it takes to clean the metal ones
(about 15 min/day max)<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='tab-stops:41.25pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>If I was
paying the bills I wouldn't get the plastic - they are far more
expensive and do not give as good quality face as the metal. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='tab-stops:41.25pt'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>But...I
haven't done a cost analysis of the plastic molds <span class=SpellE>vs</span>
time spent to clean metal molds and then soak in mold release every day.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoAutoSig><font size=3 color=navy face="Courier New"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:navy;mso-no-proof:yes'>Tim
Morken<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> Richard Hessler
[mailto:RHESSLER@mail.mcg.edu<span class=GramE>] <br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent</span></b></span><b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>:</span></b> </span></font><st1:date Month="12"
Day="16" Year="2003"><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>Tuesday, December 16, 2003</span></font></st1:date><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font><st1:time
Hour="7" Minute="56"><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'>7:56 AM</span></font></st1:time><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b>
histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Histonet] Plastic
Embedding Molds</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>I would like advise about disposable
plastic embedding molds. Was wondering if any clinical labs had experienced
problems with delays and uneven tissue alignment due to static and slow heat
transfer. Also, what advantages do these have over traditional steel other than
you don't clean them? As steel basically has an unlimited lifespan, are the
disposable molds really cost effective in a clinical laboratory.</span></font><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Thanks</span></font><font size=1
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=1 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Richard B Hessler, MD<br>
Chief, Section of Anatomic Pathology<br>
Associate Professor of Pathology and Neurology<br>
The </span></font><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><font size=1 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Medical</span></font></st1:PlaceName><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'> </span></font><st1:PlaceType><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>College</span></font></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'> of </span></font><st1:country-region><st1:place><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:Tahoma'>Georgia</span></font></st1:place></st1:country-region><font
size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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