Anatomy & Embryology

Kees de Jong

Senior teacher Anatomy & Embryology

Academic Medical Center

dept. of Anatomy & Embryology,

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

plastinator since 1991

Anatomy & Embryology

Anatomy & Embryology

Basic principles of sheet plastination:

1 cutting/sawing

2 fixation

3 dehydration

4 impregnation

5 curing

Anatomy & Embryology

deli slicer for soft tissues,

specimen preferabel embedded in gelatine

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Anatomy & Embryology

specimen containing

bone:

deepfrozen, sliced with

a band-saw

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Anatomy & Embryology

when embalmed specimen are used

before starting dehydration:

remove unwanted chemicals from the specimen:

glycols, glycerin: submerge in ethanol 50%

for 1 week, repeat once

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Anatomy & Embryology

ethanol, (long) alcohols, formalin:

rinse in running tap water for a few days

(depending on the size of the specimen)

when embalmed specimen are used

before starting dehydration:

remove unwanted chemicals from the specimen:

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Anatomy & Embryology

glycols & glycerin act as anti-freeze, so freezing

prior to sawing has to be done at a low temperature

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Anatomy & Embryology

specimen are placed in a polystyrene box

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Anatomy & Embryology

kept in place by wooden sticks and submerged

in water, then deep-frozen

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Anatomy & Embryology

and sawed at the desired thickness, preferred 3 mm.

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Anatomy & Embryology

how to set the desired thickness??

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Anatomy & Embryology

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Anatomy & Embryology

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cleaning the section from sawdust

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Anatomy & Embryology

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acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

acetone

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Anatomy & Embryology

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Anatomy & Embryology

specimen

formaline fixed embalmed

dehydrationremoval of

glycerine, phenol, etc.

dehydration

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

specimen

formaline fixed embalmed

dehydrationremoval of

glycerine, phenol, etc.

dehydration

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

removal of glycerine, phenol, etc.

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

10-30°

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

refresh the ethanol after 1 week

rinse in running tapwater

immerse in ethanol 50% for another week,

move every day

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

Monitoring of the rate of

dehydration

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

measurement of the rate of dehydration

=

measurement of specific weight of the

dehydration bath

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

acetone specific weight= 0.8

water specific weight= 1.0

ethanol specific weight= 0.8

acetone

water

sw = 0.9

= 50%

mix

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

acetone

ethanolmix

sw = 0.8

≠100%

dehydration

acetone specific weight= 0.8

water specific weight= 1.0

ethanol specific weight= 0.8

Anatomy & Embryology

so, rinse specimens with ethanol

in running tapwater until ethanol is

replaced with water

then start dehydration

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryologyacetone : specimen’s water = 10 : 1

acetone 100%

acetone

water

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

acetone 90%

water 10%

acetone 90%

water 10%

repeat the procedure

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryologyacetone : specimen’s water = 10 : 1

acetone 100%

acetone

water

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

acetone 99%

water 1%

acetone 99%

water 1%

repeat untill acetone is >98,5%

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

best performed with cold acetone (-25º C)

1 pre-cool specimen to 5º C

2 keep specimen completely submerged

to prevent air drying

freeze substitution

dehydration

Anatomy & Embryology

impregnation

Impregnation of polyester:

1 is performed at room temperature

2 vacuum is increased quick (< 1day)

3 vacuum is not deeper than 15 mm Hg.

Anatomy & Embryology

Lower pressure will extract styrene molecules from

the polyester impregnation bath, resulting in:

improper impregnation and curing;

damaging the vacuumpump

Anatomy & Embryology

impregnation

Anatomy & Embryology

impregnation

Anatomy & Embryology

impregnation

When bubbles stop rising, impregnation is complete.

Depending on the amount of specimen this will take

1 – 3 days.

Anatomy & Embryology

QUESTIONS???