A new method of producing casts for anatomical studies

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to verify if polyurethane foam is a suitable material to make accurate casts of vessels and viscera, and to develop a method based on its use for anatomical studies. This new technique has been tested primarily on the lungs of different animals, but also on the renal, intestinal and equine digital vessels. It consisted of three steps: specimen preparation, injection of the foam and corrosion of the cast. All structures injected with foam were properly filled. The bronchial tree and the vessels could be observed up to their finer branches. The method is inexpensive, simple and requires no special equipment. The pre-casting procedure does not require perfusion of the specimens with formalin, or prolonged flushing with carbon dioxide gas or air for drying. The polyurethane foam does not need a catalyst. It is simply diluted with acetone, which does not cause shrinkage of the cast due to evaporation during hardening. The foam naturally expands into the cavities without high pressure of the inoculum, and hardens in just 2 or 3 h at room temperature. Only two drawbacks were observed. The first is the fact that multiple injections cannot be made in the same cavity since the foam solidifies quickly; the second is the slight brittleness of the cast, due to the low elasticity of polyurethane foam. In conclusion, polyurethane foam was a suitable material for producing accurate casts of vessels and viscera.

Morphology of the Canine Omentum Part 2: The Omental Bursa and its Compartments Materialized and Explored by a Novel Technique

“…In addition, it ensures active filling of blind spaces. The casting technique with expanding polyurethane has previously been used successfully to cast the tracheal‐bronchial tree, blood vessels and intestines (Viggiano et al., ; Casteleyn et al., ; De Sordi et al., ). The foam is hydrophobic and sticks to dry surfaces.…”

Corrosion casting in anatomy: Visualizing the architecture of hollow structures and surface details

“…The PU foam technique for anatomical studies of enclosed spaces was originally developed by De Sordi et al (). Doom et al () used it to study the layout and pocketing of the canine omental bursa.…”

Corrosion Cast- Comparison of Different Techniques and Materials Used in Corrosion Casting

“…They washed the vessels with tap water, then air dried them before the injection step. [12] In our study, we also refrigerated a few hearts and washed them when convenient. Aultman et al (2003) who worked with silicone and did luminal casts, placed the specimens in running water bath overnight.…”

“…[6] Some have used refrigeration so that the cast can set. [12] Krucker et al (2006) placed the specimen in vacuum for 2-3 min to remove air inclusions in the resin. [10] For some media, the specimen needs are to be placed in an incubator to allow polymerization.…”