A comparative study of microwave oven-assisted tissue processing and conventional method of tissue processing on turnaround laboratory time and morphological quality of tissue sections. 2023

O FinNie, and S A Aye, and P Krishnappa, and R Ravindran
International Medical University, Department of Pathology, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The purpose of tissue processing is to fix the tissue in a solid medium toenable thin sections. Conventional method of tissue processing is the standardized method of tissue processing which has been used for more than 10 decades. However, the conventional method is time-consuming, and the overall turnaround time for the histopathology report is at least two days. The objective of this study is to identify the protocol for tissue processing procedure using domestic microwave oven. To determine the tissue processing time when using domestic microwave oven. To compare the morphological quality of tissue slides made by domestic microwave oven and conventional method using automated tissue processor. The conventional protocol and three microwave protocols of tissue processing were used in this study. A pilot study was done prior to the real run to determine the baseline timing for microwave protocol. The baseline timing was fixed at 2 minutes,30 minutes,5 minutes and 25 minutes. The processing time of the microwave protocol was adjusted from 62 minutes to 70 minutes to 77 minutes by increasing the dehydration and wax impregnation time while the time for tissue fixation and clearing remain the same throughout all the microwave protocols. The group 2 microwave protocol produced the sections that is closely comparable to group 1 conventional protocol. The morphological quality of histopathology slides is best observed when the processing time of microwave protocol is 62 minutes. The most appropriate microwave protocol for tissue processing is group 2 as the morphological quality of histopathology slides are more superior than that of group 1 with an overall percentage of 80% of satisfactory slides in group 2 and 76.68% in group 1.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008872 Microwaves That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum from the UHF (ultrahigh frequency) radio waves and extending into the INFRARED RAYS frequencies. EHF Waves,Extremely High Frequency Radio Waves,Micro Wave,Micro Waves,Ultrahigh Frequency Waves,Microwave Radiation,EHF Wave,Micro Waves,Microwave,Microwave Radiations,Radiation, Microwave,Ultrahigh Frequency Wave,Wave, EHF,Wave, Micro,Wave, Ultrahigh Frequency,Waves, Micro
D010865 Pilot Projects Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work. Pilot Studies,Pilot Study,Pilot Project,Project, Pilot,Projects, Pilot,Studies, Pilot,Study, Pilot
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013048 Specimen Handling Procedures for collecting, preserving, and transporting of specimens sufficiently stable to provide accurate and precise results suitable for clinical interpretation. Specimen Collection,Collection, Specimen,Collections, Specimen,Handling, Specimen,Handlings, Specimen,Specimen Collections,Specimen Handlings
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D016707 Tissue Fixation The technique of using FIXATIVES in the preparation of cytologic, histologic, or pathologic specimens for the purpose of maintaining the existing form and structure of all the constituent elements. Fixation, Tissue

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