Clearing (F) Flashcards
What is the process (/ steps) of conventional tissue processing (including all minor steps)?
1) Labeling (Numbering)
2) Fixation
2. 1) Washing out
3) Decalcification (optional)
4) Dehydration
5) Clearing
6) Impregnation (Infiltration)
6. 1) Orientation
7) Embedding
7. 1) Trimming
8) Section-Cutting (Microtomy)
8. 1) Floating Out
8. 2) Adhesion
9) Staining
10) Mounting
10. 1) Ringing
11) Labeling
True or False
Conventional tissue processing starts w/ labeling and end w/ labeling
True
What is the other term for clearing?
Dealcoholization
What is the rationale of clearing / dealcoholization?
Although the dehydrated tissue is now essentially H2O-free, it still cannot be infiltrated w/ wax because wax and ethanol are largely immiscible
What is needed to remove alcohol and other dehydrating solutions from tissues prior to embedding and from finished slides prior to mounting?
An intermediate solvent that is fully miscible w/ both ethanol and paraffin wax
What is the usual intermediate solvent that is needed to remove alcohol and other dehydrating solutions from tissues prior to embedding?
Paraffin wax
What is clearing?
It is the process of removal of dehydrant
What must be the characteristics of a clearing agent?
1) It must be fully miscible to ethanol
2) It must be fully miscible to paraffin wax
What are the actions of clearing?
1) It imparts an optical clarity or transparency to the tissue due to their relatively high refractive index (RI)
2) It removes a substantial amt of fat from the tissue w/c otherwise presents a barrier to wax infiltration
When is clearing done?
1) After dehydration
2) Or before infiltration
3) After staining
4) Or before staining
What should be the volume of the clearing agent for tissues that are 4 mm thick?
20x
How many lvls of xylene are done (and their corresponding durations) in the clearing sequence of tissues that are 4 mm thick?
2 lvls
Xylene - 1 hr
Xylene - 1 hr
How many lvls of xylene (accdg to Gregorios; and their corresponding durations) are used for clearing sequence of 4 mm thick sxs?
2 lvls
Xylene - 25 mins
Xylene - 45 mins
When is complete clearing observed?
When the internal structures become visible to the naked eye
Prolonged clearing will cause what?
1) Brittleness
2) Tissue becomes more difficult to cut
What is the name of the processor (/ machine) used for automated tissue processing?
Leica TP 1020
Leica TP 1020 is used for what time duration?
Overnight (12 hrs)
What are the sxs that can be processed via the use of Leica TP 1020?
General surgical sxs
What are the characteristics of the sxs that can be processed via the use of Leica TP 1020?
1) 3 mm thick
2) < or equal to 20 x 20 mm
How many stations are present in Leica TP 1020?
12 stations
What are the 12 stations (what are the rgnts used and the corresponding time for each station) present in Leica TP 1020?
1) NBF: 1 hr + hold time
2) 95% alcohol: 1 hr
3) 95% alcohol: 1 hr
4) 95% alcohol: 1 hr
5) 100% alcohol: 1 hr
6) 100% alcohol: 1 hr
7) 100% alcohol: 1 hr
8) Xylene: 1 hr
9) Xylene: 1 hr
10) Xylene: 1 hr
11) Melted paraffin: 1 hr
12) Melted paraffin: 1 hr
What is a pro-par clearant?
It is a unique aliphatic substitute for xylene
What are the characteristics of pro-par clearant?
1) It is non-irritating
2) It is non-sensitizing
3) It is greaseless
4) It is practically odorless
5) It is not derived from citrus oil
6) It is recycable
What are the characteristics of a good clearing agent?
1) It should be miscible w/ alcohol
2) It should be miscible w/ paraffin
3) It should be miscible w/ mounting media
4) It should make the tissue transparent
5) It should not produce shrinkage
6) It should not produce hardening
7) It should not produce damage
8) It should not dissolve aniline dyes
9) It should not quickly evaporate in H2O bath