Twenty first-century Lean tissue processing: LOGOS customer experiences

The highest quality tissue processing in cellular pathology is critical to accurate testing and diagnosis of histological samples. The long process of fixation followed by dehydration through graded alcohols, xylene and then impregnation with molten wax has been carried out conventionally for over 100 years with little change, other than becoming automated.

                Today’s modern histopathology laboratories are facing many challenges to process tissue to the highest quality standards while managing increased pressures to meet tight turnaround times, health and safety requirements, environmental responsibility and increasing challenges surrounding staff resource and wellbeing.

                The LOGOS fully automated tissue processor from Menarini Diagnostics takes processing to a new level based on hybrid technology that will allow a much-improved streamlined workflow, while reducing overall reagent expenses and operating costs. It is a flexible tissue processor that offers ultra-rapid xylene-free as well as conventional processing for all tissue types and can be operated in batch and/or continuous flow modes. During the day, the LOGOS can be used in continuous rapid mode with manual transfer of the rack between the dual retorts, with simultaneous reagent and wax processing taking place in each separate retort. Cleaning between runs is not required because the wax only enters the second retort, enabling back-to-back processing of small batches throughout the day. This is highly effective to achieve same-day processing on diagnostics biopsy samples and thus removes them from the overnight workflow, which can otherwise burden the laboratory with early morning backlogs and non-Lean prioritisation procedures for embedding and microtomy. Used in automatic batch mode overnight, the wax enters the first retort, which requires a short cleaning cycle at the beginning of the day before continuous mode can be resumed.