Wash solution and method to remediate lubricant contamination
A wash solution for remediating lubricant contamination in cytological specimens includes a Tris-based alkaline buffer solution. The buffer solution may be prepared in methanol, and may include a proton-rich protein, or a basic amino acid, such as arginine, lysine, or guanidine. A method for remediating a specimen contaminated with lubricant includes using the wash solution and/or adding a salt to the final vial prior to preparing the microscope slide. The method may include adding the wash solution to the specimen, centrifuging the specimen and wash solution to form a supernatant and cell pellet, decanting the supernatant, and adding a preservative solution to the cell pellet. The method may further include adding salt to a vial containing the preservative solution and cell pellet.
1. A method for removing lubricant contamination from a cytological specimen sample suspended in a collection preservative solution, the method comprising:
pelletizing the specimen;
decanting the collection preservative solution to isolate the pelleted specimen;
adding a wash solution to the pelleted specimen, wherein the wash solution comprises a Tris-based alkaline buffer and a basic amino acid;
centrifuging the specimen and wash solution to form a supernatant and cell pellet;
decanting the supernatant to isolate the cell pellet; and
adding a replacement preservative solution to the cell pellet.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffer is prepared in methanol.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the buffer is prepared in 20% methanol.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a salt to the replacement preservative solution and cell pellet.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the salt comprises NaCl.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the basic amino acid comprises arginine or lysine.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein adding the salt comprises adding a preservative solution that comprises salt.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wash solution further comprises guanidine.