What is Body Plastination?
the patient, after the procedure, is immersed in a preservation solution. The solution facilitates the chemical bonds of body components and prevents further deterioration. This solution consists of a component from glucose or glycerin and a carbonate (soda). The saline solution serves as the preservative.
Healthcare professionals have been aware of the plastination process since the end of the 1950s. First, it was known as electron-centrifugation which consisted of impregnating a protein solution with radioactive material. Radioactivity promotes protein synthesis and desiccation. After this, the samples were placed in a dry pressurized vessel for several months until the protein molecules became soluble. In the 1980s, when ultrasound was introduced, the procedure changed to performing magnetic-centrifugation on the human body. The magnetic fields in the pressurized vessels propel protons throughout the solution, making the proteins contract and lose water content.
Of course, we all know that ultrasound can damage tissues but only the magnetic field can avoid this.
It is with the advancements in plastination technology that the materials needed for this process have grown in capability and precision. Today, the same solutions used to preserve tissue are used to preserve human organs. Today, plastination is a highly specialized specialty of medicine.
How it Works?
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The first step of Plastination is fixation. Formaldehyde or other preservation solutions are pumped through the arteries to kill all bacteria and to prevent the decomposition of the tissues. This process takes about 3-4 hours.
After that dissection starts. Skin, fatty and connective tissues are removed in order to prepare the individual anatomical structures and elements. According to the complexity of specimens, dissection can take between 500 to 1,000 hours of labor. The removal of soft tissue is carried out by specially trained micro-muscle dissection teams. This branch of anatomy is very delicate, so it is especially important to remove all parts without damaging the tissue of interest.
When the necessary dissection is completed, the actual process of Plastination begins. In the first step, 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 replaces it inside the cells. Although the dissolution of the water and fats should be completed in 2 to 3 hours, the breakdown of the body is actually completed within 5 minutes, leaving the residue of the calcium carbonate and silica.
3. FORCED IMPREGNATION
The third step is the central phase of the Plastination process, forced impregnation. Here specimen is placed in a bath of liquid polymers, such as silicone rubber, polyester, or epoxy resin. By creating a vacuum, the acetone boils at a low temperature. As the acetone vaporizes and leaves the cells, it draws the liquid polymer in so that the polymer can penetrate every last cell. This process lasts 2-5 weeks.
A solution of water and acetic acid, generally 1-2% w/v, is mixed with the polymer before the impregnation process. The solution acts as a preservative. On removal, the saltwater has disappeared, along with the epoxy resin.
4. POSITIONING
After vacuum impregnation, the body is still flexible and can be positioned as desired. Every single anatomical structure is properly aligned and fixed with the help of wires, needles, clamps, and foam blocks. Positioning requires a lot of anatomical knowledge and a defined sense of aesthetics. This step can take weeks or even months. But it is worth the wait!
5. CURING (HARDENING)
In the final step, the specimen is hardened. Depending on the polymer used, this is done with gas, light, or heat. Curing protects the plastinate against decomposition and decay. Dissection and Plastination of an entire body require about 1,500 working hours and normally take about one year to complete.
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