Problems in Histopathological Technique

 

Prepared by

ROY ELLIS

IMVS Division of Pathology

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Woodville Road, Woodville, South Australia 5011

Email: roy.ellis@imvs.sa.gov.au

 

 

 

PROBLEM NUMBER 31

Cleaning hardened paraffin wax off benches and embedding centres.

 

HOW?

  • One way is to rub tissue tek mould release compound onto the embedding centre and bench before embedding. It doesn’t have to be tissue tek mould release compound - any mould release compound will do. Spilled wax can then be easily wiped away with gauze or a tissue after embedding.

  • If wax is spilled on a area of bench or equipment that has not been rubbed with mould release - mineral oil dissolves wax and does not damage fragile surfaces like xylene will.

           

 

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© Roy C. Ellis 2002