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ABC of Safety in the Biological Sciences
CRYOSTAT MAINTENANCE25
Routinely after frozen section.
Wear protective clothing. A long sleeved laboratory coat or gown, with elasticised wrist bands, rubber gloves and safety goggles afford the minimum standard of protection.
Remove the microtomy debris from the cryostat chamber and place into a fixative, disinfectant or wet bag for autoclaving. Clean the knife and all exposed surfaces and instruments with 70% ethanol.
Monthly
Wear protective clothing as for routine maintenance. Turn off the power and unplug the cryostat. Rinse the cabinet and the microtome with 70% ethanol then defrost overnight. Place a waste bucket containing 5% sodium hypochlorite under the drain outlet of the cryostat.
After defrosting remove the microtome from the cabinet, wash in hot water containing detergent then rinse in absolute ethanol and allow to dry. Oil all sliding parts and oil holes with low temperature oil. Wash the inside of the cabinet with warm water containing detergent. Rinse the cabinet with absolute ethanol then allow to dry. Replace the microtome when dry then reconnect the power.
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