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Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Rapid Freezing using Sandwich Freezing Device for Good Ultrastructural Preservation of Biological Specimens in Electron Microscopy
Published on: July 19, 2021
Rapid preparation of high-quality frozen sections using a membrane and vacuum system embedding machine
C William Hanke1, Aimee L Leonard, Amy J Reed
1Laser and Skin Surgery Center of Indiana, Carmel, Indiana 46032, USA. cwmhanke@sbcglobal.net
Background:
A wide variety of embedding techniques have been employed to process frozen sections for Mohs micrographic surgery. Prospective data comparing different techniques are lacking.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to compare tissue processing times and slide quality using the three embedding techniques.
Methods:
Seventy-five consecutive Mohs surgery tissue specimens, measuring 1 cm in diameter, were prospectively randomized to processing with the CryoHist, the Cryocup, or the Miami Special. Tissue preparation times were recorded, and slide quality was evaluated. Tissue specimen preparation was standardized to exclude the use of relaxing incisions or other tissue manipulations. In a separate evaluation, slide quality was retrospectively evaluated for 50 large specimens (>2.5 cm) processed with the CryoHist machine.
Results:
The mean tissue processing time was 11.4 minutes using the CryoHist, 12.9 minutes using the Cryocup, and 12.6 minutes using the Miami Special. Slide quality, using epidermal edge as a primary end point, was superior with the CryoHist compared to the other methods. For large (>2.5 cm) en bloc Mohs specimens processed using the CryoHist, the slide quality was excellent with 92.3% of epidermal edge obtained.
Conclusions:
The fully automated CryoHist embedding machine enables high-quality frozen sections to be processed in less time than the Cryocup or the Miami Special. Slide quality is excellent, even for larger specimens.
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