Histo-Clear II: Xylene-Free Processing with Reduced Citrus Scent
Histo-Clear II is the next evolution in safe clearing agents, specifically engineered to address the needs of high-throughput laboratories using automated tissue processors. While the original Histo-Clear is unmatched for manual work, Histo-Clear II modifies the formula to reduce the citrus fragrance and mimic the physical properties of xylene more closely.
By blending distilled essential oils with select aliphatic hydrocarbons, Histo-Clear II achieves a faster evaporation rate and a lower flash point than its predecessor. This optimization prevents the accumulation of residue in automated lines and ensures compatibility with synthetic mounting media. It provides the same non-toxic, biodegradable benefits as the original, but with a subtler scent and physical characteristics tailored for modern instrumentation.
Key Benefits:
- Optimised for Automation: Prevents clogging. The adjusted evaporation rate and viscosity mimic xylene, ensuring smooth operation in automated tissue processors and coverslippers without the risk of residue build-up.
- Reduced Odour: Subtle working environment. Formulated for users who find the strong citrus scent of original Histo-Clear overpowering. Histo-Clear II significantly reduces the olfactory profile while maintaining a safe, non-toxic atmosphere.
- Superior Tissue Integrity: Ideal for large samples. Unlike xylene, which can cause significant hardening and brittleness in large tissues, Histo-Clear II maintains sample flexibility, ensuring superior sectioning quality even for whole-organ embedding.
- High-Quality Results: Sharp definition. Like the original, Histo-Clear II enhances nuclear detail and preserves tissue integrity, ensuring publication-quality slides without the health risks of xylene.
Performance in Automated Workflows
Histo-Clear II has been validated for use in various automated tissue processors. Its formulation ensures that it clears ethanol effectively and infiltrates paraffin without leaving the oily residue sometimes associated with vegetable-based clearing agents. This results in consistent block firmness and excellent sectioning quality, comparable to traditional xylene protocols.
Proven Efficacy for Large Volume Bio-Tissues
In a comparative study published in Scientific Reports, Histo-Clear II was identified as the optimal clearing agent for processing large-volume tissues, such as macaque hemispheres. The study found that compared to xylene, Histo-Clear II resulted in superior section cutting scores and significantly reduced tissue shrinkage. Crucially, it avoided the tissue hardening and brittleness often caused by prolonged xylene exposure, allowing for the generation of intact, high-resolution 3D reconstructions.
Read the full study: Paraffin-embedding for large volume bio-tissue (Scientific Reports, 2020)
Specifications
- Composition: Blend of distilled essential oils and aliphatic hydrocarbons
- Appearance: Clear, colourless liquid
- Odour: Low/Reduced Citrus fragrance
- Evaporation Rate: Comparable to Xylene
- Miscibility: Miscible with ethanol, isopropanol, paraffin, and synthetic mounting media
- Water Miscibility: Immiscible
- Usage: Automated and Manual Histology
- Storage: Room Temperature