Slide staining can be tedious, and guarantee the same standards in quality from the first to the last slide is challenging. To solve this, the automatization of the process can be a solution. However, slide stainers for hematology can be expensive and tricky to use. The haemato-pathologist should ensure a good quality smear, thorough examination, and proper interpretation in line with the patient’s clinical state.
The IUL’s PolyStainer is essential to any hematology laboratories that want to boost their productivity and automate repetitive steps of the procedure. PolyStainer is perfect for a wide range of staining procedures since it is programmable, the run time is short, and the slides are ready for the microscope in just a few minutes. You can program the process according to your needs: short or long programs and more or fewer slides are possible to adjust with the PolyStainer.
The PolyStainer: a little bit of history
It is well known that the detection of bacteria in blood cultures is also functioning in clinical microbiology using the Gram staining method, named after the Danish bacteriologist who originally devised it in 1844, Hans Christian Gram, is one of the most important staining techniques in microbiology. It is almost always the first test performed for the identification of bacteria. However, the most staining used in hematology is Romanowsky staining, Romanowsky-Giemsa staining useful to differentiate cells for microscopic examination in pathological specimens. The PolyStainer is a programmable instrument specially designed to automate the Gram staining method. It is capable to carry up to twenty inoculated slides into four containers for reagents, one rinse water bath, and one warm air-drying container. As it has been said, automating a slide stainer for hematology is a must for labs that wish to increase their yield. The PolyStainer performs standardized staining procedures that free lab staff from labor-intensive staining procedures. General microbiology and histology labs that seek to reduce sample staining workloads will greatly benefit from its use.
User-friendly
The Poly Stainer is extremely easy to use, you can arrange the slides in the basket and hang it on the lift and perform or select a program using the symbolic display/keyboard. The basket runs automatically to all the selected positions, at the times and shaking required. Once the program finished, you can take the basket at the rest position. Therefore, a user-friendly slide stainer for hematology makes a difference in productivity in any clinical laboratory. Furthermore, there is no previous training needed as IUL’s PolyStainer panel is intuitive and easy to program.
When less is more
Up to 20 microscope slides are loaded in the PolyStainer basket. Next, the robotic arm will dip and stir these through four exchangeable plastic wells. Slides can be dipped in the fifth drainable water well that ensures water will be renewed after rinsing each slide basket. Last, slides can be fan dried with or without heat. The four reagent wells in the system allow performing an extremely broad array of stains. With its rapid staining cycle, the Polystainer is your slide stainer for hematology for middle and high throughput capabilities adaptable to your needs and different procedures in a cost-effective way to stain hematology specimens.
PolyStainer system highlights
- Walkaway Solution: one push-button operation triggers the entire staining procedure.
- Unique Design: the PolyStainer was uniquely designed to separate its staining area from the system’s electronics and mechanics, this ensures endurance due to separation from highly oxidative reagents.
- Staining Protocol Optimization: ensures no cross-contamination by using the PolyStainer’s rinsing well drain to keep rinsing water clean. Speeds stain preparation by drying out slides.