One to two (1-2) drops of staining or mounting media (lacto-phenol cotton blue is recommended for mold spore analysis) should be placed in the center of a clean pre-labeled slide. Air-O-Cell cassettes should only be opened in the laboratory. The sealing band should be cut, and the glass cover slip (containing the sample trace) removed and slowly placed on an angle with the media collection side down onto the staining solution. Do not press down on the slide during or after staining!. Excess staining solution should be removed from around the edges of the cover slip with a tissue wipe or cotton swab after 10 minutes has elapsed. This will ensure even staining of the sample. It should be noted that the slide can also optionally be mounted media side up. To do this, use a drop of fingernail polish to secure the Air-O-Cell slide to the microscope slide. Then place a couple drops of stain on the media and place a cover slip on top.
About Stains
Numerous stains may be used during laboratory analysis. These include lacto-phenol cotton blue, anline blue, calbreras stain and acid fusion stain. The most common stain used for mold spore analysis is lacto- phenol cotton blue.
To achieve the best clarity of the sample, using stains that have little or no water content is preferred. Water can cause the sample to appear cloudy.
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