Paraffin Block Finder

How It Was Created

Have you ever panicked over a lost block 😭? When I get to the lab, that's the last thing I want to think about.

During my first week as a histotech, I quickly realized how overwhelming it can be to keep track of all the paraffin blocks. Not long after, one of my blocks went missing. Being slightly dyslexic, I searched the same box three times, only for my coworker to find it exactly where I had already checked.

Today's system works, but I knew it could be better. The BlockFinder app was created to help histotechs like me to stop stressing over missing blocks.

How to Use the Paraffin Block Finder App

1. Upload or Take a Photo: You can either upload a photo from your phone or take a new photo directly in the app.
2. Search for Your Block: In the search box, type the accession number of the block you are looking for. I recommend typing just the last four letters or numbers, since the first digits are often the same and will highlight multiple blocks.
3. Format Carefully: The photo is processed as text, including spaces. Make sure to include spaces if they exist in the accession number. Avoid special characters such as hyphens. Only enter letters, numbers, and spaces.
4. Find the Highlight: A pink highlight will appear directly over the associated block. If no match is found, nothing will highlight.
5. Privacy and Safety: Photos are not stored anywhere so no need to worry about violating HIPAA regulation.

Key Features

Contact

Don’t forget to write a review on the App Store. Did you like the app? Where should I improve it? Any feedback is appreciated. You can also reach out to me via email with questions. Contact Karam at: histologyblock@gmail.com