Plastination is a process for long-term preservation of biological tissues that leaves them completely dry but still life-like. It involves removing water and lipids from tissues and replacing them with curable polymers like silicone or epoxy. There are three main steps - fixation in formalin, dehydration in acetone, and forced impregnation with polymer under vacuum. The polymer is then hardened to complete plastination. Whole bodies, organs, or thin cross-sectional sheets can be plastinated. Plastinated specimens are durable, pose no health risks, and are useful for teaching anatomy. However, plastination is an expensive and time-consuming process requiring specialized equipment and skills.

1. PLASTINATION
by: Dr. Ravi Kant Narayan
3rd yr JR
Department of Anatomy
Pt. B. D. Sharma PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana, India

2. • Plastination is the method of
long term preservation of the
biological tissues with
completely visible surface and
high durability.
• It was developed by
Dr. Gunther von Hagens in
1978 at the Heidelberg
University in Germany.

3. • In this technique, the water and fat of the body are
replaced by certain polymers.
• The specimens obtained after plastination are called as
PLASTINATES.

4. Requirements

5. • Primarily, we require a lab equipped with fire
extinguishers, explosive proof lighting system and a
freezer motor fitted outside the room.
• The room should have multiple extraction points and
should be well equipped for possible spillages.

6. • Other materials required have been classified into 2
groups: A. Chemicals B. Equipments
A. Chemicals required:
1. Formalin (≤ 10%)
2. Acetone or methyl alcohol
3. Silicone or epoxy polymer
4. Biodur S3 or S6 (hardener)
5. Water.

7. B. Equipment required:
1. Containers depending on size of specimen
2. Deep freezer, motor system to create vaccum
3. Pressure gauge to measure the pressure.

8. • After procuring, the samples are prepared properly before
undergoing the procedure to form plastinates. For example:
1. Hollow organs need to be flushed, cleaned and then fixed in a
dilated position. Dilation of hollow organs will increase the
flexibility of the organs due to the thinner wall.

9. 2. Intestinal specimens may be opened to remove
ingest, sutured closed and then dilated.
3. Ostia with strong sphincters must be held open with
appropriate sized cannulas or by tubing.

10. 4. Intravascular injection of colored silicone,
gelatin, latex or epoxy may be used to highlight
vessels, etc.

11. Procedure of Plastination

12. There are four steps in the standard process of plastination:
1. Fixation
2. Dehydration
3. Forced impregnation in a vacuum
4. Hardening or Curing

13. FIXATION (1-4 Days)

14. • Under fixation, the body is embalmed, usually in a
formaldehyde solution in order to prevent the decomposition
of the body.
• Usually 10 % formaldehyde solution may be used as a
fixative, lower percentage formalin solutions may produce
less bleaching of the specimen.

15. • Minimal fixation with low percentage of formalin and short
time duration (1-2 days) will yield a specimen which is more
flexible and more natural looking.
• Fixation of hollow organs is necessary to maintain the shape
and lumen of the organ

16. DEHYDRATION (4-5 weeks)

17. Equipment: Deep freezer with containers

18. • Dehydration removes the specimen fluid at -25°C.
• In this step, tissue fluid is replaced with an organic
solvent i.e acetone.

19. • First, the specimens are washed in running tap water for
two days with the aim of neutralizing the
formalin/preservative fumes during dissection.
• Tissue water and lipids were removed by subjecting the
specimens to at least three changes of acetone bath at one-
week interval in every change.

20. • The specimens were turned/agitated at least once a day
so as to ensure maximum action of the acetone on the
specimens.
• Acetone turns yellow when fats are removed.

21. • Degreasing would be considered complete when the
acetone bath remains clear.
• Acetone is used in most cases because, acetone also
serves as the intermediary solvent during the next step
of forced impregnation and it can be recycled.

22. • Acetone also helps in removal of fat at room
temperature of 20° to 25°C.
• An acetone amount of 10 times the specimen weight is
best for good results.

23. FORCED IMPREGNATION
IN VACCUM

25. • Equipments:
1. Deep freezer (explosion proof or motor and compressor
removed and placed in a different room); Vacuum
chamber,

26. 3. Vacuum pump with pressure gauge (Vacuum is complete when the pressure is
around 5 mm Hg)

27. • This is the central step, where the intermediary solvent
(acetone) is replaced with a curable polymer such as
silicone, epoxy resin, polyester resin, etc under applied
vaccum.

28. • The dehydrated specimen is placed in a bath containing
liquid polymer.
• After some days of immersion, vacuum is applied to it.

29. • Vacuum is increased gradually to boil the intermediary
solvent (acetone), which has a lower boiling point
(+56 ° C) out of the specimen.
• Impregnation is monitored by watching the formation
of bubble on the surface of the mixture. Absence of
bubbles indicates completion of the procedure.

30. Structure of
hydroxyl-
terminated
polydimethyl
siloxane.
[Si - O] represents a
basic
silicone molecule.

31. HARDENING or CURING
(4-5 weeks)

32. Equipment: plastic box, stretch foil, membrane (aquarium) pump.

33. • Finally, the polymer inside the specimen has to be cured
(hardened).
• This is achieved by exposing the impregnated specimen
to a hardener which can be liquid (S3) or gaseous (S6) in
nature .

34. • S6 is a liquid that vaporizes at room temperature and
causes fast curing.
• The impregnated specimen and a bowl filled with curing
agent is placed in a tightly closed chamber for several
weeks.

35. • To enhance the curing procedure air may be bubbled
through the fluid.
• For complete curing, the specimen should be kept in a
plastic bag for several weeks.

36. • The hardener commences end to end-linkage and hence
elongation of the silicone molecules, which produces
increased viscosity of the reaction mixture.
• This linkage is reported to enhance flexibility of the
impregnated specimen

37. Gas Curing Box with Supplying unit

38. • Curing methods have potential problems and/or
disadvantages.
1. A white precipitate may appear on the specimen.
2. The specimen may shrink.
3. Oozing polymer may coat the specimen

39. • To avoid precipitations:
1. Use a desiccant, e.g. calcium chloride.
2. Pour the fluid gas cure into the dish and then place
the specimens into the gas chamber.

40. 3. Use slow curing, because precipitates hardly ever
form.
4. Decrease exposure time to the S6 vapour and/or
allow the excess S6 to evaporate from the cured
specimen.

41. • To avoid shrinkage:
1. Wrap the specimen with thin foil which will adhere
to the surface of the specimen.
2. Use slow cure only on specimens which have been
formalin-fixed for a prolonged period

42. Types of Plastination

43. 3 types:-
1.Whole body plastination
2.Luminal plastination
3.Sheet plastination

44. Whole body / organ plastination
• In this process entire body or an organ is
plastinated.
• Total structure and relationships of an organ/body
are preserved.

45. Two
plastinated
bodies
positioned as
rugby players.

46. Plastinated Heart & Lung Specimens of a Smoker and a
non – Smoker.

47. Plastinated Thoracic
and Abdominal
Organs in their
Usual Configuration

48. • It is done for hollow organs like lungs, stomach, intestine,
ventricles of brain, vascular pattern of heart and kidneys.
• Specimens are dilated/ inflated during fixation,
dehydration and curing. Beautiful and precise bronchial
pattern can be seen by this technique.
Luminal plastination

50. • It involves making of thin transparent or thick opaque
sections of body or an organ.
• These sheets are portable and display cross sectional
anatomy comparable to CT or MRI scan sections.
• Sheets can be made in various planes.
Sheet plastination

51. • Thin sections (1-2mm) correlates well with routine
histology slides.
• Polymers such as epoxy, polyester or polypropylene
(araldite) resins can be used for making sheet plastinates.
Sheet plastination

52. Sheet plastinates
of Transverse
sections of body
at different levels.

53. Horizontal brain slice Longitudinal slice of the
head

54. Advantages of Plastination

55. 1. The specimens are dry, easy to handle, store, transport
and long lasting.
2. There will be no formalin fume irritation on the dry
specimens (devoid of harmful effects of formalin
exposure).

56. 3. Plastination can accommodate a variety of specimens
from gross specimens to cross section slices &
therefore, can be used as an ideal alternative method of
specimen preparation for teaching and research
purposes.

57. Disadvantages of Plastination

58. 1. Costly procedure
2. Time consuming
3. Requires skilled technical support to carry out
the procedures and in handling the equipment.

59. 4. Prepared specimen requires handling with care.
5.Chemicals used, such as acetone are highly inflammable
and should be used in places equipped with fire
extinguishing measures.

60. REFRENCES
• Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS, Institute for Plastination,
Heidelberg, Germany, www.bodyworlds.com.
• Holiaday SD, Blaylock BL, Smith BJ. Risk factors associated with Plastination:
Chemical toxicity considerations. 2001, J Int Soc Plast16:9-13.
• Hagens GV, Tiedmann K, Kriz W. The current potential of plastination. Anat
Embryol (1987) 175:411-21.
• Sargon MF, Tatar I. Plastination: basic principles and methodology. Anatomy
2014;8:13–8.
• Dhanwate AD, Gaikwad MD. Plastination – A Boon to Medical Teaching &
Research. IJSR 2015;4(5):1550-3.

61. Thank YOU…!!!