Office of Research and Project Administration

Contact:	Russell Hilf, Ph.D.	585-275-1622
		beeper: (921) 3955

Description of Facility:
The purpose of this service is to help investigators who need human tissue for research purposes to obtain the required specimens by coordinating the assistance of surgeons, pathologists and support staff, and provide collection materials and transport when necessary.

After advance arrangements have been made, specimens from specific patients can be picked up directly from the operating room or out-patient clinic for immediate processing or delivery to surgical pathology, research laboratory or shipment to collaborators at other institutions. Arrangements can be made for pickup at other aree hospitals as well as SMH.

Once the requisite surgeons have agreed, the daily SMH OR schedules can be screened for cases that may provide specific types of tissue and arrangements made for notification if and when there is sufficient tissue available for research use. At that time, specimens can be picked up at the OR desk or Out-Patient clinic for delivery to the laboratory, through surgical pathology if necessary.

Timed specimens from treatment studies can be picked up from surgery or patient floors for immediate delivery or shipment.

Autopsy specimens can also be arranged for, once the autopsy division has agreed. Calls can be made daily to check on the availability of cadaveric specimens for study.

Reagents, sterile containers, instruments and gloves, and other materials can be provided. specimens can be minced, trimmed, frozen, shipped or stored temporarily. At present this service is based in a laboratory with laminar flow hood, refrigerator, freezer and other equipment available.

There is no charge for this service and records are kept of all requests and deliveries.