People, medicine and technology

Meet the histotechnologist

Before a pathologist can interpret tissue, someone has to make it readable.

In the linked clip, the ribbon coming off the blade is microtomy: cutting thin sections from a tissue block. The sections can then be floated on warm water, placed on a glass slide and stained so tissue structures become visible.

Histotechnicians and histotechnologists do the careful work behind those slides: processing, embedding, sectioning and staining. More advanced methods can include immunohistochemistry and other tissue-based tests. The pathologist interprets the prepared tissue and makes the diagnosis.

Digital pathology changes how a slide is viewed and shared. It does not remove the need for a well-prepared slide. The person behind the block still matters.

This is our next Who is the lab chapter: the people, the craft and the technology behind a diagnosis.

Explore lab careers: https://doctorsdocmd.com/careers/

Watch the original clip. Credit: Medical laboratory sciences (microtomy), https://www.facebook.com/reel/1769974000887833 Role sources: National Society for Histotechnology and ASCP.

Role sources: - https://www.nsh.org/about/about-histotechnology - https://www.ascp.org/careers-fellowships - https://www.ascp.org/boc/explore-credentials/view-all-credentials/HTL

For education only. This page does not offer personal medical advice.