A new corrosion casting technique

A technique is described, employing polyester as the injection material, for preparing a casting of all cardiac vessels or of arteries or veins separately. This technique was used in 10 bovine and 40 fresh human hearts. The technique is simple, rapid, economical and the required equipment is available in the average laboratory. The extent of vascular penetration is controlled by the viscosity of the polyester solutions, some of which at a certain density can penetrate through the net of capillaries with an injection pressure of no more than 220 mm Hg. Our technique does not require any special handling of the heart and it makes no difference to the quality of the casting whether the blood is drained or flushed from the vessels prior to the perfusion. There is no noted shrinkage or crumbling of our specimens stored at room temperature. The heart size, configuration and the anatomical relationship of the cardiac vessels are preserved without the need for casting cardiac chambers. The injection materials are cheap, easily transported and can be stored without special care. Injection, solidification and corrosion are carried out at room temperature.