AUTOTECHNICON

• Autotechnicon


  An automatic tissue processing machine that fixes, dehydrates, clears, and infiltrates tissues thereby decreasing the time and labor needed during the processing of tissues resulting in a more rapid diagnosis with lesser technicality
• Autotechnicon principle


  1. Tissues pass through a sequence of solutions by means of a carriage raised by a drive mechanism operated by a clock-controlled timing disc

  2. Timing disc may be notched to allow for variation and accuracy of timing
• Autotechnicon


  • Only 2-3 changes of wax are required (infiltration) to remove the clearing agent and properly impregnate the specimen by constant agitation thus improving tissue penetration giving rise to more consistent results
  • Has 12 individual processing steps with 10 (1 L capacity) glass beakers and 2 thermostatically controlled wax baths used for paraffin wax impregnation
  • A safety device cut-out switch protects the wax against overheating
  • Electrical Clock controls the time needed for each processing step
  • Transfer Arm moves the tissues from one station to another and finishing all the 12 steps
  • Agitation of the fluid is accompanied by a continuous vertical movement or rotation of the specimen carrier by a mechanism connected to the transfer arm
• Placing tissues in the autotechnicon

  1. Tissues should be enclosed in small tissue receptacles which in turn are placed in a receptacle basket and attached to the carrying yoke

  2. The receptacle basket is attached back one position from the first solution for processing
• Autotechnicon processing steps


  1. Fixation (1-2 baskets, 1 hour each)

  2. Dehydration (3-5 baskets, 1 & 1/2 hours each; 6-8 baskets, 1 hour each)

  3. Clearing (9-10 baskets, 1 & 1/2 hours each)

  4. Infiltration (11-12 baskets, 2 hours each)
• Fixation process is shortened with the help of agitation
• Dehydration process uses an increasing grade of alcohol
• Clearing process uses the clearing agent xylene
• Infiltration process uses two thermostatically controlled wax baths for paraffin wax impregnation
• Quality control of autotechnicon


  • Majority of tissue processing is done by the autotechnicon, thereby reducing the workload of the medical technologist in the lab
  • One major drawback is the timing of processing, which should be set properly in the clock face to prevent distortion of the tissue