Agar Bulk Batch Recipe:
42 grams of Bacto Agar
1400 ml of Distill Water
1/4 teaspoon Thymol
Mix together in a large surgical path plastic specimen container (DO
NOT COVER) and heat in microwave for 18 minutes on HIGH. Stir
to mix thoroughly with a wooden tongue blade. - "DO
NOT BOIL" Sprinkle the top with Thymol. Stir
lightly. Let set & solidify for 12 hours before using. Cover
with lid and cut 2 - X'S in the lid to vent - this allows
escape of humidity and that & the thymol will help prevent
mold from growing. This represents a "bulk block".
In a pathology practice of 25,000 surgicals per year, several
hundred FNAs & cell blocks per year, and 130 autopsies per
year, we make about ___ bulk blocks per year.
Working portion Recipe:
You will need:
a 6-12 hole heat block at 58 degrees at each grossing station
Disposable test-tubes with tops
3.5 ml plastic disposable pipettes
1- smaller _____cc plastic surg. path. spec. container with lid
When low on working tubes of warm, liquid agar in the heat block,
slice out a chunk of solid agar from the bulk block...about a cup
full. Microwave until completely melted (you might try a series
of 15-30 second microwave bursts). Using a soft, plastic, disposable
pipette, fill enough test-tubes to accommodate a days worth of
grossing at that grossing station. Do not fill tubes above the
top rim of the heating block only tube-holding hole.
Then place disposable/re-useable plastic tops on the filled test-tubes.
Change out all left-over agar-filled tubes daily (each
morning).
When grossing specimens, orient small biopsies or tissues on edge
on the metal table top...maybe up against the external sidewall
of a cassette (to keep the biopsy steady while the agar is applied).
Using the above type of pipette, slowly and carefully cover specimen
completely with agar (making sure that there are no air bubbles
beside specimen). Make sure specimen does not float up off of the
table top into the agar "button"; let cool to harden
(approx. 1 min.)...then cut away excess & lift up with scalpel
blade & place into cassette. The agar protects the biopsies
from drying out; so, one can gross a series of a dozen or so biopsies
on the grossing table top prior to trimming and placing into cassettes.
(2
March 2004) (back to agar page) |
