Plastination: A Revolutionary Technique for OrganKits

Plastination is a revolutionary anatomical technique that is transforming the way anatomy is taught in universities, offering an unparalleled method for preserving real biological specimens which can be manipulated with bare hands in any educational set up. This innovative approach is at the core of the OrganKits project.
Originally invented by Dr. Gunther von Hagens in the 1970s, plastination is a process that
replaces biological fluids (water and lipids, mainly) with a durable polymer (silicone, epoxy
resin, polyester), resulting in lifelike anatomical specimens that can be studied without
decomposition.
Plastination represents a pioneering innovation in this project, offering an unmatched
advantage in creating highly detailed and long-lasting real organs for Secondary or High
School education, a setting where plastination has been scarcely used. By introducing this
advanced technique at earlier stages of learning, the OrganKits project makes high-quality
anatomical education more accessible to younger students, bridging the gap between
traditional teaching methods and cutting-edge anatomical preservation. Moreover, the
project aims to demonstrate the potential of plastinated organs for STEAM (Science,
Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education. By incorporating plastination into secondary school curricula, students gain hands-on experience with real biological
specimens, enhancing their understanding of anatomy and other scientific disciplines. This
approach promotes interdisciplinary learning, bridging scientific accuracy with creative
exploration, ultimately inspiring the next generations of professionals.

The project partner Discover-IN (Murcia) is a plastination company that has been intensively
dedicated to producing all the plastinated specimens for this project. A total of 448 specimens have been created using real organs—including hearts, brains, stomachs, intestines, lungs, kidneys, testicles, uterus, knees and legs—from ovine, bovine, and swine sources. Standardized plastination protocols were specifically designed for these organs, following strict ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance guidelines to ensure consistency and excellence throughout the process.
Unlike traditional preservation methods where real organs are usually preserved from decay
by using formalin, plastination produces dry, odorless, and durable specimens, making them
ideal for hands-on learning experiences. This means that every vein, valve, and tissue layer of
an organ can be examined as it would appear in a living system.
Among the different plastination techniques, the silicone technique S10 (Biodur®) is the gold
standard in education (De Jong & Henry, 20071). This technique comprises several fundamental steps :

  1. Dehydration – The first step involves removing water and lipids from the tissue to prevent
    decay. The organ is submerged in a cold acetone bath at temperatures as low as -20°C to – 30°C. Acetone acts as a strong dehydrating agent, gradually replacing the water content within the cells. This process may take several weeks, depending on the size and density of the specimen. Multiple acetone baths are often required to ensure complete dehydration before moving on to the next phase.
  2. Forced Impregnation – In this critical step, the dehydrated organ is placed in a vacuum chamber containing a reactive polymer, typically silicone rubber. As the vacuum pressure decreases, the acetone trapped within the tissues begins to vaporize and exit the specimen. This creates a pressure differential that forces the silicone into the organ’s cellular structure. The process is meticulously controlled to ensure complete polymer infiltration, preserving the intricate anatomical details at both the microscopic and macroscopic levels.
  3. Positioning and Curing (Hardening) – Once fully impregnated with silicone, the specimen is carefully positioned into its desired anatomical shape. A curing agent, such as a gas or liquid catalyst, is then applied to initiate the hardening process. This step ensures that the specimen retains its natural form while becoming resilient and durable. The curing process may take several days to weeks, depending on the type of polymer used. The final result is a dry, odorless, and long-lasting anatomical specimen that retains the texture and structural fidelity of the original organ.
  4. By integrating plastination into the OrganKits, the project can offer high-fidelity specimens that enhance anatomical education as well as other disciplines within the STEAM domain, ultimately improving learning outcomes for present young students and future competent professionals.

1. De Jong K., Henry R. Silicone Plastination of Biological Tissue: Cold-temperature Technique Biodur© S10/Sl5 Technique and Products. J. Int. Soc. Plast. 22: 2-14 (2007). DOI:       https://doi.org/10.56507/ZLMJ7068

By Octavio M. López Albors

Project coordinator

University of Murcia