Surgical Tissue Bank

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" height=75 BGCOLOR="#999999" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0b720610ermwup.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Research Laboratories</b></FONT><B>     </b><B>|     </b><A HREF="index-2.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Research Laboratories"><U><B>home</b></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id17.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Staff"><U>Staff</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Laboratories"><U>Laboratories</U></A>   |   <B>Surgical Tissue Bank</b>   |   <A HREF="id19.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Equipment"><U>Equipment</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id31.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Researchers"><U>Researchers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seminars"><U>Seminars</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id29.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Postgraduate Study"><U>Postgraduate Study</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Publications"><U>Publications</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Extracurriculum"><U>Extracurriculum</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id33.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Forms"><U>Forms</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id34.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lab Safety"><U>Lab Safety</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Staff Manual"><U>Staff Manual</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=405 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Surgical Tissue Bank</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1de0f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Tissue bank is important to medical research. Most of the human tissues are used for research purposes that aid diagnosis and treatment of disease.<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>Also, human tissue is for quality-control purposes in diagnostic and pathologic laboratories. In addition, human tissue is also used for medical and biological research and for medical education and training. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1de0f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Tissue banking is a rapidly growing service throughout the world; therefore human specimens are in high demand within biomedical research. However problems arise with the location for sample storage has always been an issue in research laboratory. Tissue collections vary considerably, ranging from formal repositories to the informal storage of blood or tissue specimens in a researcher's freezer. The consideration of how to store and treat the sample affects the quality of experiments afterwards. Valuable time consumed of researchers spent on sample collection. The difficulties encountered in obtaining human organs and tissues are an acknowledged problem: not enough human tissues are available to meet research needs. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1e00f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Establishing a proper tissue bank is a pioneering act in Hong Kong. By having a centralized surgical tissue bank, we can have reliable and organized database to collect and store human specimens in a longer term. A well-established tissue bank plays a major role in maintaining and preserving these samples. In order to reserve valuable specimen of the patients, likewise, a sample database will be formed at the same time and coordinates with clinical applications. One of our missions is to enhance utilization of these biomaterials and to help clinical researchers with excellent starting materials in their works.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1e10f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     We are introducing the Surgical Tissue Bank (STB) in the Department of Surgery, which is physically located in the laboratory L9-19 of the Faculty of Medicine building; commence its service in 4th quarter of 2005. The Surgical Tissue Bank is an advantage and a practical facility in the Department. It serves as a comprehensive, formal temperature controlled sample storage system for the clinical specimens. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1e20f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Types of samples: serum, plasma, and tissue (frozen and paraffin blocks).</div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="1e30f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Storage capacities: (1) Biomedical -300C freezer of 452 liters; (2) -800C ultra low temperature upright freezer of 651.3 liters holding 32,400 vials; and (3) Cryopreservation liquid nitrogen tank (552 liters which can contain 36,400 vials). These equipments are maintained and monitored by restricted and trained personnel. STB staffs are responsible for sample collection in designated location and provide adequate temperature controlled measures to transport the samples. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1e40f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Initial services: collection of one pre-op blood samples, one frozen tissue in liquid nitrogen and one paraffin block. The blood sample will be further processed into plasma or sera for frozen storage in aliquots.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="886" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 333 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1e92ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1f3e6330.jpg" border=0 width="230" height="307" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1ed2c470.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="327" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ee0f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Histopathology facilities are already in service to accommodate tissue processing needs. All processing protocols are standardized as commonly accepted tissue-processing procedures like cryopreservation, lyophilization and paraffin embedding. Along with existing histopathology setup, other tissue processing such DNA/RNA extraction will be provided at cost upon request. For the security prospect, samples are kept strictly secure under surveillance and their information will only accessed by authorized person. All freezers and liquid nitrogen tank will be monitored and locked for the sake of sample safety.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="689" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 283 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1f011150.jpg" border=0 width="273" height="277" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1f42ce10.jpg" border=0 width="300" height="225" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div>      <IMG SRC="1ef0f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     To keep track of the precious samples in different freezers and tank, STB uses a commercially developed inventory control system.          The software, Freezerworks?is written under FDA Guidelines for Software Development. All inventories stored in STB are controlled by this computer based, scanner and barcode system. When a sample check-in to STB, Freezerworks?system allows STB to assign a unique serial number to each of the samples. The assigned sample number is encrypted in the barcode for latter retrieval. With the help of the scanner, samples taken out of the temperature controlled environment can be identified effortlessly. This procedure provides a precise and easier transaction of multiple samples. The computer system further minimizes the error rate in sample procurement.  All audit trails will be recorded and cannot be modified.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1de0f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Staff: Dr. Ronnie Poon (Surgeon), Dr. John Luk (Scientist), Ms. Jasmine Yu (Technician), and Ms. Noel Kwong (Laboratory Assistant).</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1de0f0f0.gif" border=0 width="15" height="15" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">     Contact:      Phone: 2819 9605/2819 9693 </div> <div>                               Pager: 7306 9733 (for specimen collection)</div> <div>                               Fax: 2819 9692</div> <div>                               E-mail: jasmineyu@hkucc.hku.hk  </div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>