TRANSFERRING paraffin-embedded tissue sample blocks between clinics and laboratories is a routine operation which can be made simpler and more eco-friendly using the HistoMailer, says BioCision.
HistoMailer is made of recycled and recyclable PET
HistoMailer is a dedicated PET plastic mailing box with spaces for four biopsy cassettes. Samples are held in a manner which prevents cassettes from opening, and thereby preventing cross contamination, says the company. Each sample can be individually labelled and the container permits shipping at ambient temperature or chilled under ice or dry ice.
Originally developed by the Mayo Clinic for use in its own laboratories – which receive around 30,000 samples each day from hospitals around the USA – HistoMailer has been developed for commercial use by BioCision.
According to Mayo Clinic operations coordinator Jeff Wills, one of the inventors of the product, HistoMailer is not only helpful fpor specimen transporation but also enhances the laboratory’s green credentials. With over a thousand clients signed up to use the system, success seems assured.
HistoMailer measures 10.8 x 22.9cm when opened up and laid flat, and is 1.9cm high. BioCision says that in the coming months it plans to launch further products to satisfy the tissue processing needs of clinical histology and pathology labs.