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4 EASY STEPS TO SUBLINGUAL EPITHELIAL CELL SPECIMEN COLLECTION

EXA: Elemental X-Ray Analysis by ASEM: Analytical Scanning Electron Microscopy

1. Rinse 3X with distilled water

 

 *Do not wear powdered gloves

*Avoid contamination

     1. Use utmost cleanliness.

  • The mouth must be very clean before the specimen collection.

  • Patient must fast overnight. Do not put anything in the mouth besides plain water.  PT may drink  medications in the morning with plain water. When sustenance is necessary, PT may have clear liquids without minerals or electrolytes  Or water soluble foods. Do not chew on anything sticky. Absolutely no dairy, no soy, no salt, no chewable vitamins etc.

  • In the AM, Patient may brush without toothpaste.

  • Patient  may rinse the  mouth and sublingual  area before entering MD's office

  • Do not contaminate spatula or carbon slide. 

  • Rinse sublingual area with  distilled water before scraping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  This is the frenulum. End the scraping of soft tissue at the foot of the frenulum.

  • Start in the back of the mouth, in area parallel to molars. End at the frenulum shown in this picture.

  • Scrape firmly: Scraping should produce a minor discomfort to the patient.

  • Do not scrape the tongue, the gums,  the teeth, or the frenulum itself.

  2. Scrape sublingual soft tissue  of the  floor of the mouth. 
End at Frenulum-shown here.

3. Transfer cells to circled area. with the flat side of the spatula.

      

   3. After placing specimen  on slide, 
         hold spatula flat  and spread on circle.

  • Use a smearing circular motion. 
  • Be firm but do not press so hard that you scratch the carbon slide.

 

4. Fix immediately after collection while specimen is fresh and wet.

  • Use two drops of our fixative.

  • Too much fixative will wash away the cells.

  • Allow to dry before placing in small envelope.

  • Properly fixed the specimen has an indefinite life span, unless of course, it is exposed to water or mutilation.

 

   4. Apply 2 drops of fixative outside of the circle, let it roll over the circle. Apply immediately after transferring specimen and while specimen is still wet.

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