Hi Linda,

How are you?  Hope all is well.  For small specimens that you describe, I usually put them in a cassette (either standard size or megacassettes) and infiltrate with ~ 30-50 mL of solution (what ever amt works to cover the specimen(s).  For large specimens - sheep mid-diaphysis, I'd use ~75-100 mLs.  I've never calculated the volume ratio's, so maybe less would be fine........hummmmm.

Hope this helps.
Mary  

>>> Linda Durbin <Linda.Durbin@ExaktUSA.com> 07/26 1:25 PM >>>
Greetings all Boneheads:

As most of you know, I'm not a histotech.  Give me an embedded block and I
can cut and grind with the best of them....but what goes on before the block
is polymerized is still a mystery to me.  Another "bonehead" has asked me a
question that I really can't answer so I'm asking for help from the experts.

How much liquid is required (per volume of tissue) to get good infiltration
with either methylmethacrylate or Technovit 7200.  As many of you know, 7200
is pretty expensive so putting liters of it in a jar to process large
quantities of specimens is pretty pricey.  So, assuming someone wanted to
infiltrate "presectioned" slabs of tissue 3-5 mm thick, how many ml of 100%
polymer or polymer/ethanol mixture would you need per sample. I know, I
know, what kind of bone are we dealing with??!!??  Well, how about rat and
small animal (rabbit and dog).   And then, what is the optimum number of
samples one would do at a time?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

Linda

Linda E. Durbin
EXAKT Technologies, Inc.
7416 N. Broadway Ext., Ste. E
Oklahoma City, OK  73116
Tel:  800.866.7172
Fax:  405.848.7701