Dear Rees: This is something we do that makes our lives much easier for filtering BM filters from the clinic (with the ultimate goal of using them for long term cultures [LTC-IC], where sterility is a huge concern). We buy filter from a company called Small Parts, Inc. (you can find them on the web, or customer service # is 1-800-220-4242, they are at 13980 N.W. 58th Court, Miami Lakes, Florida) - they sell all sorts of filter mesh sizes (20uM, 100uM, whatever). You can buy it in any size you want - by the foot, yard, etc. - theyhave many options - or they will custom cut the mesh if you want a "not-so-normal" size. We usually get a few yards worth and then don't have to worry about it for several months. We take the filters Bill Telford mentioned that Miltenyi sells and recycle them - they simply pull apart after use (we soak in bleach to decon then rinse in water), and we then slip in a piece of mesh of desired size, clip the filters back together, and autoclave it to get it sterile again. This is a little more labor intensive than buying them, but really takes no time at all and is MUCH cheaper. Also, it affords the convenience of having the Miltenyi "cup" attached to the filter whereby it can sit right on top of a 15mL conical tube or standard flow cytometry tube. If you did npot go this route, you can still try Small Parts, Inc. for the mesh filter. Good luck! do ----------------------------------------------------------- Douglas P. Olson Experimental Hematology/AIDS Research Center Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School 149 13th Street Boston, MA 02129 (617)724-2668 - Phone (617)726-4691 - Fax Dolson4@partners.org - Email -----Original Message----- From: William Telford To: cyto-inbox Sent: 3/25/02 4:16 PM Subject: Re: Bone marrow filters Hi Rees... Miltenyi Biotec makes a cup-style preseparation filter for their columns (#130-041-407) that looks quite similar to the Partec filters - however, they list the mesh size as 30 um, not 100. BD also makes cup filters for the Medimachine unit (called "filcons") that come in different mesh sizes and might be substitutable (100 um sterile are #340637 for 100 count, US$182). BD Falcon also makes sterile 40, 70 and 100 um cell filters that fit 50 ml tubes (100 um is #352360). We like to use these because they are relatively cheap and sterile - you just have to use them cautiously for tubes that are less than 50 mls. BD Falcon also makes their 12 x 75 mm FACS tubes with the filter cap, 40 um mesh I believe. As I recall, the Partec filters can be pulled apart, cleaned, their mesh replaced with Nytex 100 um screening and they can be reused. I don't know if the plastic can be autoclaved, however. Good luck, Bill Telford NCI-NIH At 05:08 PM 3/25/2002 +1100, Rees Beth wrote: >Hi Flowers > >Help!!! > >We've been using Partec's 100um filters to filter out bone particles and >cell clumps before staining bone marrow cells. > >I'm now told we're the only people in Australia who are using these, and our >supplier will not bother to import them after our latest order. What are >other people using, and where can I get it ? > >beth > >Beth Rees >Flow Cytometry Lab >Pathology Dept >Royal Hobart Hospital >Hobart, Tasmania >Australia > >ph. 03 6222 8913
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