| Formalin |
formaldehyde, with possible additions such as phenol and glycerine |
room temperature |
years |
longevity, minimal infection risk, solid organs may be easier to handle |
stiff, discoloured, unnatural texture, poor tissue plane preservation, odour, low grade carcinogen, not suitable for insufflation or ventilation |
dissection based anatomy instruction and research |
| Thiel |
glycol, various salts, boric acid, chlorocresol, formaldehyde (low levels), alcohol |
room temperature after several months' immersion |
years |
flexible joints and tissues, realistic, minor tissue change, long lasting, ability to ventilate, preservation of colour |
infrastructure required, time needed for embalming process, not all tissues lifelike |
both short and long-lasting applications in teaching and research |
| Other soft embalming |
various (e.g., glycerine, alcohol, formaldehyde, etc.) |
fridge |
months |
somewhat flexible, some colour preservation |
shorter lifespan, storage in fridge |
|
| Fresh frozen |
nothing |
freezer |
days |
flexible, realistic, minimal tissue change |
infection risk, need for full personal protective equipment, time needed for thawing, deterioration throughout usage period, mounting of body parts when not using full cadaver |
short surgical training courses, short-term research |
