Ask a Mohs Tech- Rubber band Trick

Rubber Band- Double Duty

Daily use of cryostats can put a lot of wear and tear on the screws inside, especially the screws that hold the knife plate in place. You should always update your screws, as they can get stripped easily, but incase you don't have time here's a great tip found in the Good House Keeping Magazine. They probably weren't talking about cryostats, but in this case it's perfect for Mohs!

To get a better grip on a stripped screw, trap one side of a wide rubber band (like the ones used on a produce bundle) between the screwdriver and the screwhead, and twist!

Staining Thick Cuts

Cutting thicker sections where the stain comes out perfect every time.

Thicker pieces need extra time to dehydrate. This means more time in the first alcohol is a must. Normal time in the first alcohol is 30-60 seconds, increase this time to 90-120 seconds to draw all the water out of the dense tissue.

Add time to your hematoxylin. Doubling the time should help the stain penetrate the thick tissue. Be sure to use extra washing dips in the waters following the hematoxylin. It is important to perform these extra dips to insure the hematoxylin is properly blued.

Your Eosin will also need to be increased, add about 50% of what is used normally. For example, if you were using one dip, use one plus a quick second dip. If two dips was your norm add one extra dip for a thick cut.

The last set of alcohols need extra dips as well, about double what you use for tissue of normal thickness.

Your slides should look much better under the microscope after following these steps.

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