Current Event Summary # 2 Plastination: 2-26-12

Body Worlds the original exhibition of real human bodies. Gunther Von Hagens went through a rough time in his life early on. As a child he was diagnosed with a rare bleeding disorder that restricted his activities and required long stays in the hospital. At age six he nearly died, it was at this time that the doctors and nurses left such an impression on him that he knew he wanted to become a physician and make a difference. While attending medical school in 1965 in Jena, Germany he began questioning communism and socialism. It was during this time that he participated in a student protest against the invasion of Czechoslovakia. On January 7th he attempted to cross the border to freedom and failed. The next day he attempted a different location but the authorities detained him. Unfortunately he was sent back to eastern Germany where he was sentenced to two years in prison. After his freedom he went back to complete his medical studies. While serving as a resident and a lecturer he invented plastination. At this time he was married to a former class-mate Dr.Cornelia von Hagens, he took her last name and they had three children. Plastination was initially developed to help medical students learn about anatomy by preserving anatomical specimens with reactive polymers. Dr. von Hagens patented his method over the next six years refining his invention to make it better. The first step is to halt decomposition; the deceased body is embalmed with injections into the arteries while smaller specimens are immersed in a special solution. After dissection all body fluids and soluble fats are extracted and replaced through vacuum forced impregnation with either reactive resins or silicon rubber and epoxy. Then the posing of the bodies or organs begins depending on what is being taught, and then they are cured with