Plastinated specimens, when prepared with a design for endoscopic use, can serve as a practical model for teaching. Intact alimentary canals were excised from fresh canine cadavers. Cannulas in excess of the intended endoscope size (9.6 mm diameter) were placed in restrictive openings [cardiac ostium (ostium cardiacum), pyloric ostium (ostium pyloricum), and cecocolic orifice (ostium cecocolicum)]. These cannulas allowed ingesta to be removed and maintained adequeate diameters for endoscoping. After flushing out the gastrointestinal contents, specimens were formaldehyde-fixed overnight in a dilated anatomical conformation. Prior to S10/S3 impregnation, fixative was flushed from the specimens and they were dehydrated in acetone. After impregnation, slow cure (elongation of S3 molecules at room temperature) was allowed to proceed for approximately 1 week. The gastrointestinal tracts were maintained in a dilated conformation by a positive pressure air flow. When polymer seepage was minimal, they were cured using small quantities of S6 (final curing agent). The curing agent was contained around the specimen by enclosing the specimens in plastic bags. The plastinated specimens retain their dilated anatomical conformation, and may be used to teach both endoscopic technique and gastrointestinal anatomy.
Since the introduction of the plastination process by von Hagens [Anat Rec 194/2: 247-256, 1979], the cost of acetone used for the dehydration step has been considered an important factor in the cost of plastination. We have developed a three-step method that permits the reuse of acetone. The first step simply consists of storing the contaminated acetone in the freezer and separating the congealed fat by filtration. The second step is vacuum distillation of the acetone and can be conducted with the freezer and vacuum pump (found in any plastination laboratory) with just a few additions. It produces 95-97% pure acetone. The last step uses a desiccant to take away the residual water from the distilled acetone and brings the purity to 99.5%. With this method, we have reduced the amount of acetone to be purchased to a minimum and completely eliminated the cost of discarding used acetone. In addition vaporized acetone released during the impregnation step of plastination is recaptured.
Infraorbital sinus infections, which form the bulk of upper respiratory tract infections in companion birds, are commonly encountered in clinical practice and often require medical and/or surgical management. The infraorbital sinus with its dorsal drainage into the nasal cavity makes it difficult to treat these infections. The sinus has various compartments throughout the skull and subcutaneous tissue. As an aid in determining the location and extent of the sinuses of the parrot and macaw, a corrosion cast of the infraorbital sinus was made. Also, computed tomography (CT) images of cadaver heads were completed at 2-mm scans. Prior to sectioning for sheet plastination, the infraorbital sinus of one half of the imaged heads was injected with a mixture of colored epoxy. The specimens were frozen (-25 °C) prior to sawing 2-mm-thick sections which corresponded to the CT scans. The sections were dehydrated, impregnated and sheets prepared using the standard E12 technique. The slices were used to identify the compartments of the infraorbital sinuses and to aid identification of such on the CT images.
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