Mar 17, 2026

Public workspaceManual of Operations Placenta Collection

This protocol is a draft, published without a DOI.
  • Linda Ernst1
  • 1Endeavor Health
  • HVP Pregnancy Postpartum
Hunter Olson
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Protocol Citation: Linda Ernst 2026. Manual of Operations Placenta Collection. protocols.io https://protocols.io/view/manual-of-operations-placenta-collection-jwchcpat7
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License,  which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: March 17, 2026
Last Modified: March 17, 2026
Protocol Integer ID: 313449
Keywords: manual of operations placenta collection placental sample, operations placenta collection placental sample, time of delivery, hours of delivery, process sample, sample
Funders Acknowledgements:
NIH NCCIH
Grant ID: U01 AT012970
Abstract
  • Placental samples will be collected at time of delivery (visit 3).
  • The samples should ideally be collected and processed within 1-2 hours of delivery. Process samples as soon as possible, regardless of time. When samples are analyzed, timestamps will be reviewed to determine if samples will be used. 
Guidelines
  • At delivery, clinical team will collect placenta and store in collection bin.
  • L&D will collect placenta and transport to lab. 
  • Follow instructions listed below to process placenta.
Materials
  • Tissue cassettes (Tissue-Tek Uni-Casettes, 4118-02)
  • Formalin containers (NBF prefilled containers 120 mL, 23-101-005)
  • Blades (19200273)
  • Blade holders (13-812-235)
  • Scissors
Troubleshooting
Before start
  • Perform collection in a clean space.
  • Collect on all placentas for enrolled patients for both molecular studies and histology (no matter how long the time is after delivery.
  • Ideal time frame for collection is within 1-2 hours of delivery.
Placenta Collection
Using a medium heavy scissors, remove the membranes by cutting around the edge of the placenta.


Then remove the umbilical cord from the placental disc, by cutting at the insertion to the disc.


Do not discard the membranes or cord, set them aside.

Weigh the trimmed placental disc and record the weight in REDCap.


Collect Tissues for Molecular Studies
Lay the trimmed placenta on a cutting board.
Using a medium heavy scissors or scalpel, make a central cut down the middle of the placenta - go all the way through the tissue to create two halves of the placenta. Make the cut in the center, regardless of where the umbilical cord insertion is.


From one of the halves, remove a 1 inch wide and 1 in long, full thickness (fetal to maternal surface), rectangular portion of tissue from the center of the cut half.


Place the removed tissue in one of the formalin containers.
Repeat using the other hand of the placenta, remove 1 inch wide and 1 inch long, full thickness (fetal to maternal surface), rectangular portion of tissue from the center of the cut half.


Place the removed tissue in the same formalin container as the first piece.
Mark date and time of collection on the container, record in REDCap.
Research staff delivers ASAP to ULAM Pathology core or WashU Lab.
Core lab will trim the tissue and put in two cassettes, to appropriate size (ideally 24 hours after collection).


Trimmed tissue cassette should go on processor between 24-48 hours of collection, can go up to 72 hours if needed.
Collect Tissues for Histologic Studies
Now turn you attention back to the placenta.
From each half, remove two or more 1 in2 pieces of tissue adjacent to where you removed the previous piece.
  • One to include fetal surface (1).
  • The other to include maternal surface (2).


This will produce 4 more pieces of placental tissue.
Place all 4 in the second formalin container.
Now turn your attention to the membranes and umbilical cord you set aside.
Using scissors, cut a 2 in x 6 in rectangular strip of membranes.


Place membrane strip in the formalin container with 4 placental pieces.
Find the cut end of the umbilical cord that you removed from the placenta.
Using scissors, remove a one inch length of cord.


Place the 1 inch cord length in the formalin container with the other tissues.
Store this formalin container at room temperature until shipped to Dr. Ernst.


Don't worry if it seems really stuffed full.
Send with Study ID list, placental weights, and gestational age at delivery.