Dear Atoska,

The Hacker/Bright Model OTF/AS Brain Specification, would fit your
requirements, as it is fitted with an
independent specimen temperature control, the specimen would need to be set
between -8 & -12 deg. C, the
microtome chamber at -20 to -25 deg. C , with these setting the brain will
serial section very easily and the brain will not crack or compress.

If you do not have specimen temperature control, you will need to set the
microtome chamber to -8 to -12 deg. C, and try to lay solid C02 on the knife
and anti-roll plate, this is due to the fact that brain will stick to the
knife and  anti-roll plate at its ideal sectioning temperature and will need
to be cooled to stop this. The reason you do not achieve good sections is
that the brain is to cold for good quality sections.

Please come back to me if you are in need of some more information on this
subject.


Best Regards
Alan Bright
Bright Instrument Co.Ltd.
St Margarets Way
Huntingdon
PE18 6EB
England
Tel No:+44 (0)1480 454528
Fax No:+44 (0)1480 456031
Email: AlanBright@brightinstruments.com
Web Site: www.brightinstruments.com


 -----Original Message-----
From: 	Atoska Gentry [mailto:gentras@vetmed.auburn.edu]
Sent:	Friday, October 15, 1999 06:13
To:	histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject:	cryostat, paraffin reservoir

Hello histo world; I'm in need of urgent help in a couple areas. First and
foremost any veteran cryostat operators who are absolutely in love with
their cryostats?  If you're out there I need to hear from you.  As we may
be in the market for a new cryostat that has all of the bugs worked out if
you know what I mean?  We have a 9 year old IEC Minotome Model 2488 which
has for the past 2 years had to have repeat major repairs and is now in the
shop awaiting redesigning of a part we just had replaced December of last
year.  Also I am in need of pointers for obtaining good frozen sections on
brain at 8u.  Right now we are doing mouse brains but we have several cat
brains stored frozen for future use.  I quick freeze in isopentane cooled
by liquid nitrogen.  I have been doing frozen sections for a little over a
year but the majority of my work has been on dog muscle samples.  Which to
my knowledge have netted satisfactory results.  However, the brain samples
I did this week appear to have severe artifact ie. cracks, ice crystals?
and etc.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 My next problem is I need a thermostat for our old Tissue TekII vaccum
infiltrator. Or better yet does anyone know of some form of a paraffin
reservoir which is capable of accomodating a 1L paraffin picture?  My main
line of work involves formalin fixed samples of varying sizes for which I
use the archaic L shapes to form embedding molds.  If there's anyone else
out there please contact me in regards to your method of keeping your
sections in warm paraffin immersion until embedding of multiple sections
are embedded.  i have been doing this for a number of years with the aid of
the vaccum infiltrator serving as my reservior but now that it's broken it
makes embedding a PAIN!  Thanks, Atoska

Atoska S. Gentry B.S., HT(ASCP)
Research Assistant
Scott-Rtichey Research Center
College of Veterinary Medicine
Auburn University, AL  36849
PH (334) 844-5579
FAX (334) 844-5850