Bio-Tape™ provides a standardized sampling method for the determination of mold, microbial, bioaerosol, and inorganic dust contamination. It provides the ability to quickly take a sample and measure the relative degree of contamination.
Bio-Tape consists of a flexible plastic microscope slide with a pre-defined adhesive area. A center-line marker on the slide aids the user in locating the center when taking the sample and also aids the laboratory analyst in finding the center of the sample. Each slide is provided with a unique serial number for traceability and packed in a slide mailer to prevent cross contamination.
Features:
Provides sample consistency and uniformity
Easier to handle than tape
Individually Serialized for Traceability
Prevents Cross Contamination
Eliminates problems of placing tape in a zip bag, or broken slides during transport
Requires less laboratory prep time.
Ideal for mold sampling and testing
Using Bio-Tape™ helps provide more consistency in your samples. This is because each sample uses the same amount of adhesive surface area and the provided packaging offers protection during shipment to the laboratory. When the laboratory receives your sample, there will be no guessing where the sample area is and no sticky mess of tape to deal with.for.
I agree with the
first reviewer.
However, I have one
issue with the
Bio-tape. Since they
are made of flexible
plastic, they can
bend when you are
analyzing them under
the microscope
making analysis
slower. When they
bend, mounting media
gets spilled onto
the stage, the slide
slips through the
stage clips, and you
have to focus up and
down a lot since the
bending causes the
plane of focus to
change (possibly
leading to missed
spores).
Old-fashioned clear
tape on a glass
slide is easier to
read.
Lab perspective
2006-11-29
1 of 1 (100%) people found the following review helpful. Reviewed By: [labrat4ever]
Since you asked for it, I'll let you know what I think of the tape slides.
Honestly, they're fine, but don't seem superior to a simple 3 cent strip of
trasparent scotch tape. I'll agree, that to the homeowner, seeing someone
whip out a roll of scotch tape is not nearly as impressive as seeing an
official looking piece of plastic with a serial number on it. But in the lab, it
really doesn't matter. As long as it's not packing tape, frosted tape or in
the ultimate extreme, duct tape, you're fine. I say if you want to save
yourself some money or just don't want to have to order them, make
yourself some kind of official looking probe that you can stick one end of
the tape to, then apply it to the surface and stick it to the inside of a
ziplock bag. You can always label the bag with a Sharpie, or have them
prelabeled if you're worried about mixing samples.
But yeah, they read just fine in the lab. The only down side I can possibly
see here is that an uneven surface is not going to be easily sampled with a
flat piece of plastic, where a flexible piece of tape could easily contour
over a rocky area.
Easy to use
2006-07-21
Reviewed By: [Maxwell Ostby]
I have used several methods to collect "tape lift" samples- from scotch
tape affixed to a plastic bag to more "official" appearing methods.
Bio-Tape is the most recent product I have tried, and it is certainly my
favorite. It is easy to use for several reasons. In my opinion, it really
stands out by allowing easy and efficient labeling, paired with easy and
quick sampling.
To use very few words: easy, quick, efficient, effective.
Great Product
2006-07-07
Reviewed By: [IAQman]
This product (and other derivatives of it) have revolutionized surface sampling. Gone are the days of Scotch tape sticking to your fingers.
This is a piece of plexiglass with a one-inch squared adhesive area in the middle. The adhesive area is covered until you're ready to sample.
Two of the best features are the serial number and the separate slide case. The serial number helps keep things straight when you're taking several samples. I write the serial number right on the lab's chain of custody form. The separate case keeps all your samples separate.
I've heard mixed reviews from the labs. Some labs recommend them and others say they have a hard time reading the results. It would be nice for a lab person to write a review of how they perform in the laboratory. From a pure user perspective though, I love them.
