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Silicone plastinated pathology specimens and their teaching potential
Author(s) -
Dawson Timothy P.,
James Ryk S.,
Williams Geraint T.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1711620314
Subject(s) - silicone , process (computing) , histology , medicine , materials science , pathology , computer science , composite material , operating system
Plastination is a process of tissue preservation by impregnation with silicone polymers or epoxy resins. The resulting specimens are dry, odourless, durable, life‐like, non‐hazardous, maintenance‐free, and do not deteriorate with time. The technique may be easily mastered by those with a basic knowledge of histology laboratory practice. A small‐scale system is relatively inexpensive to establish and specimens are comparable in cost to traditional ‘pots’. Plastinated specimens are a useful adjunct to the teaching of pathology, anatomy, radiology, and surgery, and are particularly suited to use in small groups. They are much preferred to conventional ‘pots’ by both students and teachers owing to their accessibility, superior illustrative powers, and comparative ease of interpretation.