Encapsulation in Epoxy Resin as a Modern Method for Preserving Anatomical Specimens

The search for new methods to preserve and exhibit anatomical specimens remains relevant due to the significant need for such material as visual teaching aids and for the advancement of museum collections in university morphology departments. The modern chemical industry, with its novel polymeric materials and tools, offers solutions to overcome the limitations of traditional museum preservation techniques. These advancements enable the creation of anatomical specimens that require no special maintenance after processing, unlike classical conservation methods. A particular challenge lies in exhibiting corrosion casts of hollow organ structures.  Due  to  their inherent fragility and the considerable effort required to produce each specimen, ensur ensuring their long-term preservation is of paramount importance. The aim is to develop a method for creating and preserving gross anatomical specimens that are suitable for safe, daily use in educational settings and for exhibition in scientific museums and morphological collections. Material and methods. The creation of the specimen collection according to our own methods utilized samples from the museum archive of the A.P. Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of the B.V. Petrovsky Research Center of Surgery and a polymer material – a deep-pour epoxy resin. We employed our own techniques for biomaterial dissection and the creation of corrosion casts, followed by their encapsulation in the polymer medium. Results. Using the techniques we developed, 180 anatomical specimens were produced. The issues and limitations of classical preservation and exhibition methods are also examined. Conclusion. The results of our study clearly demonstrate the potential for applying the proposed methods of processing, dissecting, preserving, analyzing, and exhibiting museum anatomical specimens.

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