Slide Master
(An Innovative Immunohistochemistry Humidity Chamber)
ScyTek Laboratories, Inc. proudly introduces SlideMaster. A humidity chamber designed by a histotechnologist that eliminates the majority of individual slide handling.
SlideMaster has three different parts: A humidity chamber, two individual slide holders with white contrast bars, and a waste receptacle. It has been designed so that all three components are compact and easy to use. A maximum of 20 slides can be used per unit.
This is how it works. A hydrophobic barrier (PAP Pen, Catalog #LP0001) is drawn around the tissue section and slides are put in a special slide holder that secures them into place. Drops of antibody are placed on the slides and incubated. After incubation, the individual slide holders can be tilted and secured at a 45 degree angle. All 20 slides are rinsed off in one easy motion and the buffer (PBS-Tween 20, Catalog # ABA125 or TBS-Tween 20, Catalog # TBS125) drains into the waste receptacle. Slides are gently blotted (tissue paper) at the bottom portion of the hydrophobic barrier, which draws off any remaining liquid on the tissue. The slide holders are then placed back in the horizontal position and incubation and rinse steps are repeated in the same fashion.
For chromogen development, the SlideMaster unit has a contrast bar that changes the background from black to white. The black background produces high contrast so that the tissues mounted glass slides can be easily seen, and the white background produces high contrast and allows the technician to monitor the chromogen development. Slides are then rinsed and counterstained and are then ready for coverslipping.
SlideMaster is very easy to use. It is light weight and durable.
By making the hydrophobic barrier around the tissue section as small as possible, the total volume of antibody reagent can be significantly reduced per slide. Instead of using 100-200 microliters of antibodies per tissue section usually 50 microliters will completely cover small tissues and 100 microliters will cover larger tissues. With this method, slide staining is much more efficient, more consistent, drying-out of slides is minimized, and the cost of reagents is reduced.