Dr. Alex Muñoz Cruz, Professor of Anatomy in the International Program and the person in charge of starting this project, is also a UAG graduate. He continued his training north of our border and received this knowledge directly from Dr. Von Hagens, passing it on to his students, who participate in this interesting and educational plastination process.
The professor described the new process by saying it “starts with the dissection of the cadaver, which is then submerged in acetone - achieving total dehydration - and later adding the polymer that replaces any remaining acetone and gives the body color.
“The last step is a delicate detail. The body is posed as it will appear in its exhibition, and then given a polymer bath that cures and hardens it. After that, it is sealed in a gas bubble and bathed in ultraviolet light, which hardens the polymer. It must be supervised each day for two weeks, at which time it acquires the final position and cannot be altered,” commented Dr. Muñoz.
Though this method and the necessary reagents are patented, said Professor Muñoz, Dr. Von Hagen made it available to future health professionals at any university in the world to use as a teaching resource. Even when the desired result is not achieved, it helps students learn the body’s composition more thoroughly because the organs and parts of the body are real, allowing observation of many more details than those found on a plastic model.
It is also notable that Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara is pioneer in Latin America for being the first to complete the process.
The process took about a year, thanks to the efforts of many, and is ahead of schedule.
Well-known filmmaker Alfonso Arau, who attended the presentation as an honored guest, commented that the material and the information he’d obtained at the exhibition would be useful to him as a producer for an upcoming project.
In his closing remarks, Dr. Alex Muñoz thanked the University for the time, effort and support given to students, staff and all those involved in such an ambitious project.
“This type of project raises our profile first and foremost as University, and also as a country. We’re used to big things, exclusive things, happening outside of Mexico, and with this we are demonstrating that we have the resources to make things succeed.”
“I love my country and my university profoundly, and this is my ‘grain of sand’; my contribution or payback for everything I have been given, “ indicated Dr. Alex Muñoz.
