Monday through Friday:  7:30 am – 5:00 pm.  Emergency specimens can be processed on Saturday or Sunday by paging the Pathology Resident.

For emergency specimens after normal operating hours, please page the clinical pathology residents at 7899.  The hematopathologist on call can be reached through the UMass Memorial Medical Center operator at 508-334-1000.

Specimen Delivery and Requirements

Bone marrow aspirate:  Minimum of 2 ml in a EDTA (purple top) tube, store at room temperature.

Peripheral Blood:  One EDTA (purple top) tube with at least 4 ml of blood, store at room temperature.

Immune Monitoring (peripheral blood): One Na Heparin (Green Top) tube with at least 4mL of blood, store at room temperature.

Lymph node biopsy or other type of surgical specimen:  minimally 5x5x5 mm portion of fresh lymph node (or other type of tissue) in tissue culture medium, store at 2-8°C (wet ice).  Normal saline may be used if culture medium is unavailable and transport time is kept to a minimum.

Body fluids:  Require a minimum of approximately 100,000 cells (e.g. 100 cells/ ul x 1 ml; 10 cells /ul x 10 ml) and store at 2-8°C (wet ice).

Fine needle aspirates:  suspended in tissue culture medium and store at 2-8°C (wet ice).  Normal saline may be used if culture medium is unavailable.  Transport time is kept to a minimum.

Special instructions:  In all cases, notify the lab before the specimen is sent (508-793-6230).  If possible, notify lab one day in advance.  Specimens must be received by 5:00 pm on Friday, and by 3 pm the day before a holiday.  If a late arrival is anticipated, please call the laboratory to confirm that the test can be performed.  Send a complete requisition.  Send all specimens at room temperature.  Use adequate safety measures in transporting sample.