Plastination

Plastination is a process designed to preserve the whole body and parts for educational and institutional
purposes in a more detailed way than ever before.

Plastinates ary dry odorless durable and particularly valuable educational tools not only for medical
professional use but also for the public.

Process of plastination

1. Fixation and Anatomical dissection: Here formaldehyde or other preservative solution are pumped via
the arteries to prevent decomposition of the tissues and arrest microbial activity.

2. Removal of body fat and water: The water and soluble fats are dissolved from the body in a bath of
acetone. Under freezing conditions the acetone draws out all the water and replace it in the cells

3. Forced impregnation: specimen is placed in a bath of liquid polymer such as silicon rubber, polyester
or epoxy resin

4. Positioning: The body can be placed or positioned as desired. Every anatomical structure is properly
aligned and fixed with the help of wires and needles, clamps and foam blocks

5. Hardening: Here the specimen is hardened, depending on the polymer used this is done with gas, light
or heat. Hardening protects the plastinates against decomposition and decay

Types of plastination

1. Whole organ plastination

2. Sheet plastination

3. Luminal cast plastination

Whole organ plastination

Helps in better understanding of total structure and relationships

Methods

a. Washing of the specimen with water

b. Immersion in preservative

95% alcohol
Formalin

Glycerin

Phenol

Distilled water

c.Washing of formalin in running tap water

d. Transferring of specimen to acetone jar

e. Then to jar or resin and left in it for about 1-2 weeks

f. After few hours specimen becomes non sticky

j. Specimen is mounted on a suitable base and properly oriented.

SHEET PLASTINATION

useful method for the preparation of thin transparent or thick opaque body sections.

The sheet are totally portable, the whole body may be cut into slice and stored dry

The inner relationship are best appreciable.

LUMINAL CAST PLASTINATION

its is useful in the study of dimensions and architectures of different cavities of organs and to study the
tubular structures (arteries, veins, distal branches and their variations).

Principles

Filing up of the lumen with materials and dissolving the surrounding tissues.

It is used for tracheo-branchial cast of lungs, cerebral ventricles, bony labyrinth, vascular pattern of
kidneys, liver, lungs, spleen, coronary vessels etc..

Methods

After deep freezing for 24 hours things sections have been made with a band saw or frozen parts are
sectioned at 1cm slices.

Sections had to be cast in the form of sheet

Two glass sheets 4mm thick are separated by a rubber tubing of 6-8mm diameter clips, hold the glass
sheet together and make a leak proof chamber.

The processed section is immersed in the chamber(resin+catalyst+accelerator)

After 24 hours clips are removed and glass sheets are separated from the resin

Sheet edges are trimmed, polished and specimen is labelled

Advantages of plastination

1. Provides very unique specimen at very low cost

2. It is best suited for teaching purposes, designing new surgical procedures, practice skill and research
purposes...

3. Preservation of Korea flexible, durable and life like specimens