Arkana Laboratories' Services

Our Services

Arkana is a leading provider of esoteric pathologic services in the country. Our team of specialized physicians and our innovative lab processes enable a same-day turnaround for many of our services.

Scanning EM 3d image showing Pinholes Viewed on Silver Stain

Step 1: Request Kits

We send you a shipment of kits to keep on hand. When you need more, simply call or request through our website. Each kit contains everything you need, including fixatives, paperwork, and shipping pack.

Step 2: Ship the Sample to Arkana

Package the sample in the FedEx pack provided and add it to your scheduled FedEx pickup or drop off at a FedEx location.

Step 3: We Process and Read the Sample

One of our physicians will call you to discuss the results of your case as soon as they are available. This includes weekend emergencies.

Step 4: Access Your Results

Once completed, we send you a faxed copy of your report and make the case (including images) available online through our website as well as our app—Arkana Connect.

Services We Offer

Our menu of services centers around esoteric testing that focuses on improving care for the patients we serve.

Renal Pathology

blue stain of glomerulus from a renal biopsy sent to arkana laboratories

Neuropathology

APOL1

glomerulus from a renal biopsy taken by Arkana laboratories

Contract Research

immunofluorescence stain of a kidney biopsy showing a glomerulus

Multiplex Imaging

To request kits or inquire about our services:

Tests We Offer

	We perform	We do not perform
Renal Biopsy
Muscle & Nerve Biopsy
Technical Only EM
CRO
Consults/Stains
Covid ISH/IHC
Kidney Tumors
Mass Spectrometry
Teased Nerve

Industry-Leading Technology

Our kidney and neuro labs are made up of a diverse group of intricately trained technologists who spend their days working solely with kidney and neuro tissue respectively. We use high throughput stainers and the latest technology to ensure our patients receive the fastest, most accurate diagnosis possible.

Our Rapid Process

Our rapid turnaround process has been carefully refined over the years to enable consistent delivery of light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy within hours of receipt of a specimen in our lab.

Hour 1

Biopsy Received

FedEx drops off your package, and we begin our accessioning and grossing process. We carefully document and label everything we received and send the pieces of tissue to their respective departments.

Hours 2-5

Specimen Processed

Tissue samples for light microscopy and electron microscopy testing begin processing. The sample submitted for immunofluorescence testing is ready for embedding and cutting immediately.

Hour 3

Biopsy Received

Light microscopy processing is complete and embedding begins. We embed the sample in paraffin wax to enable us to cut super thin sections for placement on the glass slides.
Immunofluorescence - still cutting and light microscopy staining begins.
Electron Microscopy - still processing.

Hour 4

Specimen Processed

The slides prepared for light microscopy are ready for the stainers. High-throughput stainers will dehydrate and stain the tissue with a variety of dyes to aid the pathologists in viewing cellular structure in detail.

The immunofluorescence team has finished cutting the sections and are finishing up the staining by dropping antibodies on the corresponding slides. They cover these to protect them from light during the incubation period.

Processing for electron microscopy is complete and EM blocks are sent to the ultramicrotome room for cutting. We begin by cutting “thick” sections to identify glomeruli. When the ideal glomerulus is identified, we cut our thin sections and place them on a copper grid, which we then move to the electron microscopes.

Hour 5

Physician Evaluation

Slides for light microscopy are stained and ready.
Slides for immunofluorescence are dry and ready for evaluation.
Electron microscopy scoping begins.

Hour 6-8

Physician Evaluation

Electron microscopy scoping.

Hour 9

Final Results

Physicians finish reading the days cases and delivering all results calls to the clinicians. Reports are typed and faxed out to the nephrologist and pathologist, reports and images are put on the web and are also available via Arkana Connect.