Microwave processing has progressed into a promising procedure for use in the clinical electron microscopy laboratory. In striving for faster turn-around-time in the clinical patient environment, the laboratory microwave has become a very exciting tool. The development of microwave technology enhances the pathologists’ ability to diagnose quickly without compromising quality.

This laboratory's patient sample base is primarily renal biopsies. Tumors and other tissue abnormalities are also diagnosed. Animal and human renal tissue were used for experimentation with the microwave processing protocol. With the need for consistency between the existing resin of choice and standard processing protocol, procedures were developed with these criteria in mind. The standard electron microscopy processing protocol for this laboratory is fixation in either 10% neutral buffered formalin (NBF) or 4% buffered gluteraldehyde followed by post-fixation with 1% osmium tetroxide for 1 hour. The dehydration is performed with gradients of 50% to 100% ethanol followed by a transition solvent of propylene oxide into resin infiltration and polymerization.