Key Questions to Ask When Ordering automatic slide stainer

Although often underappreciated, slide stainers play an essential role in modern medical research, as they improve efficiency and accuracy in the life sciences industry. Preparing histology slides and examining tissue samples under microscopes is commonplace in medical research, and slide stainers help automate these time-consuming tasks.

You can find more information on our web, so please take a look.

Discover the basics of slide stainers and their significance in medical research as we compare manual and automated slide staining methods, the impact of slide stainers on research and diagnostics, and the benefits of automation.

What Is a Slide Stainer?

A slide stainer is crucial in histology and pathology because it is highly meticulous in automating microscope slide staining. This tool uses dyes such as hematoxylin and eosin to accentuate cellular structures precisely.

Manual staining is the traditional method, requiring hands-on attention and offers flexibility. However, manual staining can introduce variability and take more time. In contrast, automated slide stainers streamline the process, boosting efficiency and providing reproducibility.

Several kinds of slide stainers can replace manually staining slides, ranging from benchtop models to highly sophisticated systems that provide a streamlined alternative and consistent results. A slide stainer's precision and automation can speed up your lab's workflow and elevate the accuracy of cellular analysis so you and your researchers can get answers quicker and have more time to focus on essential lab work.

The Process of Slide Staining

Although there are different slide stainers, the fundamental process of preparing and using slides includes the following steps:

1. Preparing: Affix the tissue specimens to a slide, which goes into a slide holder.
2. Loading: Insert the slide holder into the stainer and program the device to the desired staining protocol.
3. Staining:The slide stainer takes over and applies the staining reagent, such as dyes or antibodies, to the slides.
4. Timing: The slide stainer precisely controls each step's duration, ensuring precision and consistent results.
5. Washing:The slide stainer rinses any excess stain or reagent to ensure a clear specimen.
6. Drying: Certain slide stainers also include a drying step that removes any moisture that could impair your analysis.
7. Covering:Once completed, remove the slides from the stainer and cover them with the protective coverslip. 

The Significance of Slide Stainers in Life Sciences

Without a doubt, slide stainers are one of the critical automated and cutting-edge technologies in pathology. They help accelerate the process, which is particularly relevant for large sample numbers, and improve accuracy, ensuring medical professionals can quickly identify anomalies.

This staining method is also essential for the pharmaceutical industry due to its efficiency and dependability. For drug development, pharmacists can analyze cellular responses with improved speed and accuracy. Slide stainers integrate seamlessly with lab workflows and assist with understanding different diseases, leading to innovative pharmaceutical research.

Automated vs. Manual Slide Staining

In many instances, improving efficiency and accuracy is a fundamental reason for technological advancements, such as quickening time-consuming lab tasks with staining slides. However, in certain instances, an expert may wonder if they might have done a better job themselves rather than leaving it to a machine. Both automated and manual slide stainers come with an array of benefits and downsides.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Automated Slide Staining

Automated slide staining changes how this process works, with the biggest impact being an increase in overall efficiency. 

Incorporating automated slide staining offers the following benefits:

• Increased throughput: You experience accelerated workflow as it can process larger quantities of slides at a time.
• Precision and consistency: A machine offers consistency based on its setting, leading to reduced variations.
• Improved results: Automation can provide better staining qualities, offering quicker and more accurate analysis. 
• Time-saving: Pathologists and lab assistants can focus on core work instead of repetitive tasks.

Possible drawbacks of automated slide staining include: 

• Upfront cost: New slide stainers are a substantial investment, which is a challenge for labs with limited funds.
• Less flexibility: This option yields less customization and does not account for specialized histotechnologist techniques.
• Technological downtime: Machines require routine maintenance and can break down, leading to downtime.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Manual Slide Staining

Manual slide staining is a more traditional method researchers have used for years, but it has drawbacks.

Choosing to use manual slide staining can provide the following benefits:

• Increased control and flexibility: Pathologists and technicians can work with a broader range of specimens and completely control the process and the techniques they employ.
• Cost saving: Manual staining saves you the upfront cost of a slide stainer and could reduce lab reagent consumption. There are also no maintenance or repair costs involved.
• Space saving: Manual staining kits suit various lab sizes as they are compact and do not require a dedicated space.

Unfortunately, manual staining leads to the following drawbacks:

• Decreased throughput: Manual staining for larger or busier labs will heavily impact overall productivity as it is notably slower than automated staining.
• Increased variations: It is possible that manual staining will introduce variations and inconsistencies due to human error and varying techniques.
• Reduced time efficiency: Instead of focusing on critical lab work, pathologists and technicians spend more time on repetitive, labor-intensive tasks.

How to Select the Best Slide Stainer for Your Laboratory

Automated and manual slide staining have merit and certain disadvantages — the choice comes down to your lab requirements, budget allowances, research preferences and available space. You will want to consider productivity, flexibility, stain quality and other factors before deciding to adopt manual or automated slide staining.

With competitive price and timely delivery, Aps Nesswell sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

Evaluate the following considerations to help pinpoint your laboratory's operational needs:

• Research protocols: Ensure your chosen method aligns with existing staining protocols.
• Throughput requirements: Decide which method would fit the volume of specimens you need to process.
• Staining flexibility: Determine what level of staining technique flexibility your lab needs.
• Accuracy and quality needs: Note whether you can afford to compromise on these factors.
• Budget allowances: Review what you can afford and decide which method is financially viable.

Integrate Slide Staining Solutions With New Life Scientific

If you require histology equipment with quality assurance and warranty at an affordable price, we at New Life Scientific have precisely what you're looking for. We offer a range of used and refurbished slide stainers that our expert technicians put through rigorous quality control testing. Moreover, we provide a 90-day warranty on all equipment you purchase and comprehensive after-sales support.

Feel free to contact us today with any product inquiries or other questions — we ensure fast response times and will respond within a single business day or less. We look forward to assisting you!

Application
When is the tissue washing, not adhering to the slide, or experiencing background staining?

H&Es 
Non-adhesion slides (no specific coating applied to slide) work well for routine H&Es. KT™ Series KT1 slides and ColorView™ Non-Adhesion slides are an excellent choice that will not have background staining.
*Non-adhesion slides may not work for every H&E slide. Tissues that are more prone to wash, such as bone, nail, skin, brain, or fatty tissues (breast, lymph nodes, liver, connective tissues) may work best on an adhesion slide or with extended drying time. Make sure to choose the right adhesion slide to eliminate background staining. Check out our selection of Non-adhesion slides.

Special Stains 
Non-adhesion slides are also an optimal choice for Special Stains as there is no background staining and most special stains are gentle enough for the tissue to adhere. *Non-adhesion slides may not work for every Special Stain. Tissues that are more prone to wash, such as bone, nail, skin, brain, or fatty tissues, may work best on an adhesion slide or with extended drying time. Make sure to choose the right adhesion slide to eliminate background staining, especially on silver stains. 

Silver background on GMS stain

IHC 
Adhesion slides (specific coating applied to slides for improved adhesion) are the best option for IHC/ISH. Due to the harshness of the staining process to the tissue, the added adhesion allows for better tissue adherence to the slides. Options for adhesion slides include KT™ Slides KT3+ (standard adhesion), KT5+ (advanced adhesion), Millennia™ Command, TOMO®, and M.
*While adhesion slides can work for most staining applications, some adhesive properties may cause background on H&Es and silver stains. KT5+ slides are designed to provide superior adhesion while preventing background staining. Check out our selection of adhesion slides.

Frozen Sections 
Adhesion slides are the best option for frozens as well. Since frozen sections are not fixed and may contain water, some added adhesion will help to prevent tissue wash.  *If tissue isn’t “sticking” to the slide inside the cryostat, place the back of the slide on your hand to warm the slide up.  

Tissue Type
Are you experiencing tissue loss or the tissue folding on “tricky” tissues, or certain tissues that are known to detach from the slide (bone, nail, skin, breast, brain, lymph nodes, liver, or other fatty tissues)?

• Check which slides are being used for tricky tissues. If not already using adhesion slides, consider changing certain tissues to adhesion slides. Slides with extreme adhesion, such as KT5+, TOMO or M, are the best option for difficult tissues, however, they may display some background staining on the slide.
• Increase drying time for tricky tissues. An extra 15 minutes up front can save 3-4 hours of time due to repeated staining. The High Capacity Slide Dryer is a great option for rapid and efficient slide drying. 

Tissue folding on IHC stain

Labeling and Tracking   
Do you manually label slides, print labels and apply to slides, or use a slide printer? Certain slides work better for different labeling processes.

• Thermal transfer printers, such as the PiSmart Slide Printer print best with slides that have a very smooth frosted end, like KT Slides, ColorView, any Millennia slide, or TOMO. 
  
• Inkjet printers need slides designed specifically for inkjet printing, like InkPro and KT5+
  
• UV laser slide printers are compatible with both thermal transfer and ink slides. 
• Thermal transfer printers, such as the PiSmart Slide Printer print best with slides that have a very smooth frosted end, like ColorView, any Millennia slide, or TOMO.
• Some slide printers work best with 45° corners to eliminate chipped and fragmented glass and jamming. 

Automated Instruments  
Do you use an autostainer for H&E staining, Special stains, or IHC? Or what about an auto coverslipper or slide printer? Some instruments may require certain slide properties, such as 90° corners or 45° (clipped) corners for optimal performance, or even a specific type of coating on adhesion slides for slide wettability (how much of the slide is covered by the reagent). Check the instrument user manual to ensure the correct type of slides are being used. 

• Many IHC stainers and coverslippers work best with 90° corner slides  It is best to use slides with 90° corners on the Leica Bond for optimal slide placement and fluid flow, and to allow covertiles to stay in place.
• Slide wettability is excellent when using a hybrid or hydrophilic (water loving) slide, such as KT5+, Millennia Command™ or TOMO® slides. Hybrid/hydrophilic slides may work best on Ventana BenchMark Ultra IHC stainers.  

     Wettability on TOMO, Millennia Command, M, and ColorView Adhesion slides after 5 drops of reagent (left) and 10 drops of reagent (right)

Inventory Management and Storage  

• Check how old the slides are as they will lose their adhesive property or “charge” over time. Once a box of slides is opened, use the box completely before opening another box, as the coating can begin to oxidize.
• Utilize a “first in first out” system to ensure that the oldest slides are used first.
• Store slides with the lid on in a temperature-controlled environment, away from humid water baths, heat sources, or other extreme temperatures.
• Keep them fresh: Do not place large bulk orders with the intent of ordering for more than 3 months at a time.  

Troubleshooting Tips

For more information, please visit automatic slide stainer.