Abstract

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this project is, to produce organs and tissues as a nontoxic, dry, odorless, touchable education material for pathology and oncology departments of medical faculty and oncology institutes. German Professor Von Hagen invented plastination. This new method enables to preserve tissue material for longer time. In this method, the water inside the tissues are displaced with special polymers and last form of tissues resembles to its original form and can be preserved for educational purposes and biology museums. This method is an expensive and requiring special equipment. The staff who is performing the plastination, exposed to toxic substances for long periods. Tissue processing is used in pathology departments every day in routine practice. Tissue samples, less than 3 mm thickness, are placed in cassette and pressed in machine for 6 to 18 hours. Gradually, they are dehydrated and hardened step-by-step formalin, increasing alcohol series, acetone, xylene and lastly paraffin. Later, samples are placed in blocks to be cut for histologic evaluations.

METHODS

In this study, biologic materials that are be suitable for education, a colon carcinoma, a larynx carcinoma, a breast carcinoma and a renal carcinoma were processed for 3 to10 days in a closed tissue processing machine with vacuum system.

RESULTS

The samples which were hard, odorless, easy to handle were filled paraffin and the samples can touchable without gloves, and useful to be education material.There were no putrefaction, shrinkage or deformation of the samples after 3 to 6 months period.The samples were used as a preliminary trial in Basic Oncology master and doctorate lectures.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

In our future plans, experimental animal education material preparation; embedding in transparent material such as epon, glass and long time lasting checking and molecular study possibility from education material exists. In addition, the material durability will be observed for a longer period.