Directions for Preparation of E.M. Tissue Other Than From Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
DIRECTIONS FOR TISSUE PREPARATION FOR ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
1. Within 3 minutes after the tissue has been removed from the blood supply and the portions for other procedures having been set aside, place the remaining tissue on an index card or piece of paraffin.
2. Cover the tissue with a couple of drops of cold (4ยบ C) 4% buffered glutaraldehyde fixative as provided and cut into blocks no larger than 1 mm 3 with a sharp razor blade.
3. Place the tissue blocks in about 10 cc. cold fixative and put in a refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or until the next morning.
4. When handling tissue for electron microscopy, caution must be exercised not to squeeze it. Manipulate the tissue using the fixative as a suspension medium for it, and keep any forceps used at a 1.5 mm distance between the tips. Alternatively, a pipette may be used to transfer the blocks.
5. After fixation, place in four changes (approximately 5 ml each) of the cold buffer as provided, for a minimum of 30 minutes per change.
6. The specimen may then be mailed to us in the buffer (approximately 5 ml) at room temperature. If immediate mailing is inconvenient, the specimen may be stored in the refrigerator in buffer for up to a month.
7. Mail To: Surgical Pathology Department
Path East Accessioning (B8L4)
Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, New Hampshire 03756
Attn: EM specimen
reviewed 8-24-06 CPD
