Specifications
Thermal Performance
- Temperature Range: All three modules—Flotation Bath, Dryer, and Oven—offer a flexible range of 0°C to 75°C or 0°C to 99°C.
Floatation Bath
- Capacity: 2.0 Liters
- Tank Dimensions: 210mm (L) x 170mm (W) x 55mm (H)
- Function: Provides a heated water surface for seamless paraffin section spreading.
Dryer
- Surface: Color wear-resistant tabletop.
- Design: Multi-layer bevel design for efficient drainage and drying.
- Throughput: Accommodates up to 60 tissue slices simultaneously.
Oven
- Chamber Dimensions: 240mm (L) x 152mm (W) x 110mm (H)
- Capacity: Holds 6 slide racks for a total of 180 standard slides.
Physical & Electrical
- Overall Unit Dimensions: 570mm (L) x 430mm (W) x 180mm (H)
- Power Supply: AC 220V ±10%, 50Hz ±1Hz
- Total Power: 600 VA
Introduction
This Integrated Flotation Bath & Dryer is a streamlined workstation designed to consolidate the critical paraffin section mounting process into a single, unified instrument. It seamlessly transitions tissue ribbons from a heated water bath for gentle expansion, to a warm drying surface for adhesion, and finally into a dedicated oven for accelerated curing. By integrating these three key steps, this system standardizes workflow, saves valuable bench space, and enhances preparation efficiency for high-quality histological slides.
Protocol
Objective: To properly flatten, adhere, and dry paraffin sections onto glass slides using the integrated system.
Procedure:
1-Preparation:
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- Ensure the unit is powered on and has reached setpoint temperatures.
- Flotation Bath: Set to 40-45°C (or as determined by your lab's SOP for your specific paraffin).
- Dryer & Oven: Set to 60-65°C.
2- Section Flotation:
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- Using forceps, carefully place the paraffin ribbon(s) onto the surface of the heated water bath.
- Allow the sections to float for 30-60 seconds, or until all wrinkles have fully expanded.
3- Slide Mounting & Draining:
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- Gently submerge a pre-labeled slide at an angle into the bath beneath the floating sections.
- Slowly and steadily lift the slide, allowing the sections to settle onto the slide surface.
- Carefully place the slide onto the inclined, heated drying surface. The beveled design will allow excess water to drain away.
4- Drying & Curing:
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- Allow slides to remain on the dryer until the sections appear fully set and the surrounding water has evaporated (typically 3-5 minutes).
- For final curing and to remove residual moisture, transfer the slides into the pre-heated oven.
- Bake slides for 10-15 minutes before proceeding to staining protocols.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths:
- Workflow Integration: Combines three essential instruments into one, reducing manual handling and streamlining the process from flotation to a cured slide.
- Space-Efficient Design: Its consolidated footprint is ideal for laboratories where bench space is at a premium.
- High Throughput: The system is capable of handling up to 60 slides on the dryer and 180 slides in the oven simultaneously, supporting moderate to high-volume workloads.
- Temperature Flexibility: User-selectable temperature ranges (up to 75°C or 99°C) for each module provide adaptability for various protocols and paraffin types.
Limitations:
- Fixed Water Bath Size: The 2L flotation bath has a fixed dimension, which may be less suitable for exceptionally large tissue sections or specific, oversized ribbon arrays.
- Standardized Drying Surface: The multi-layer bevel design, while effective, is fixed. Labs with highly specialized or non-standard slide formats may find it less adaptable than a standalone, customizable hotplate.
Summary
The water flotation bath and dryer is an integrated system designed for efficient spreading, drying, and curing of paraffin-embedded tissue sections used in histology and pathology labs. It combines a heated water bath for wrinkle-free ribbon flotation, a drying surface for secure slide adhesion, and an oven for final curing in one compact unit.
All three modules operate within a temperature range of 0°C to 75°C or 0°C to 99°C. The flotation bath has a 2.0-liter capacity for smooth section spreading, the dryer accommodates up to 60 slides on a beveled surface for effective drainage, and the oven holds six slide racks for up to 180 slides.
The system enhances workflow efficiency, saves bench space, and supports high-throughput slide preparation. It ensures consistent results by standardizing the flotation, drying, and curing processes within a single unit.
It is suitable for moderate to high-volume histology laboratories requiring precise and reliable performance. Users should follow proper temperature settings and safety procedures to ensure high-quality slide preparation and operator safety.
