Plastination
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Plastination is a technique used in anatomy to conserve bodies or body parts. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most microscopic properties of the original sample.
The technique was invented by Gunther von Hagens when working at the anatomical institute of the University of Heidelberg in 1978. Von Hagens has patented the technique in several countries and is heavily involved in its promotion, especially with his travelling exhibition Body Worlds showing plastinated human bodies all over the world. He also founded and directs the Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg.
The process of plastination proceeds as follows: the sample is soaked in a solvent such as acetone and the sample's water (under freezing conditions) and fat are slowly replaced by the solvent. Then the sample is placed in a bath of liquid plastics, such as silicone rubber, polyester or epoxy resins. When a vacuum is generated, the acetone starts to boil, and the liquid plastic takes its place. It is then cured, either with gas, light or heat. Plastinated Human or animal body or organs are known as Plastin(s) or Plastinate(s).
Other Exhibitors
In 2004 the publicly traded US company [Premier Exhibitions Inc.] began their "Bodies Revealed" exhibition in Blackpool, England which ran from August through October 2004. In 2005 and 2006 the company opened their [Bodies Revealed] and [Bodies...The Exhibition] exhibitions in Seoul (South Korea), Tampa (Florida) and New York City (NY) respectively. Another exhibition site in 2006 is the Houston Museum of Natural Science in Houston (Texas).Further reading
- "Heidelberg Plastination Folder" (Original title: "Heidelberger Plastinationshefter"). 1985/86, Institute for Anatomy at Heidelberg University
External links
- [A graphic guide to plastination at Science Buzz]*
- [Preservation by Plastination], on Body Worlds page
- [Polymer Preservation: The Process]
- [link]Discovery, March 2004, 'Gross Anatomy by Alan Burdick'
Links from the Institute of Biomedical Science
- [Plastination: Is it science or art?]
- [Plastination: Silicone Impregnation of Specimens (the standard S10 technique)]
- [Plastination: The Sheet Plastination Technique]
- [List of US patents by Gunther von Hagens]
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