Preservation of Specimens for Museum as A Recent Teaching Aid by Using Chloroform with Melamine at Room Temperature

create long-lasting, dry, and odorless teaching materials, plastination is an innovative preservation method that uses polymers to preserve entire bodies, body parts, anatomical specimens, and surgical samples in a lifelike state. Material and Methods: The present study aimed to develop a cost-effective plastination technique using an acid-curing polymer at room temperature, eliminating the need for expensive equipment such as deep freezers and vacuum chambers. Results: Formalin-embalmed cadaveric specimens, including the hand, knee jointand foot were prepared through routine anatomical dissection. The plastination procedure comprised fixation, dehydration, degreasing, polymer impregnation, and hardening. The primary chemicals used during the process were acetone, melamine and the acid-curing polymer chloroform. The developed technique successfully produced high-quality plastinated specimens while significantly reducing the overall cost of plastination. Conclusion: In the field of gross anatomy, plastinated specimens offer a valuable alternative to conventionally preserved specimens by improving teaching, demonstrations, and the understanding of anatomical structures and their spatial relationships. In conclusion the proposed room-temperature plastination method provides a practical, economical and efficient alternative to conventional formalin preservation. It eliminates the requirement for specialized equipment while maintaining specimen quality making plastination more accessible for anatomy departments with limited resources.

Keywords: Acetone, Plastination, Room-temperature, Melamine, Chloroform.