TissueDB/Materials/PVC Plastisol
PVC plastisol is a liquid vinyl compound that sets into a soft, flexible solid when heated, then holds that form on cooling. In surgical simulation it is used as a skin and organ coating: a former is shaped first — gauze wound into a cone, or gauze wrapped around a foam core — and the plastisol is applied over it to give the finished part its surface feel. It is also cast flat as sheets to make replaceable skin and subcutaneous-fat layers. Because it is poured or coated rather than machined, one batch can produce a set of organs of different shapes.
This is not the same material as rigid PVC pipe. Plumbing pipe is a hard, extruded form of polyvinyl chloride used as structural framing; plastisol is a soft, heat-cast form used as a tissue surface. They share the polymer and nothing else about how they are bought, worked, or used.
Tissues
| Tissue | Visual | Tactile | Simulator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skin | Emergency Department Thoracotomy Simulator (Misra) | Cast as a skin-coloured plastisol sheet, paired with a fat sheet beneath it to form the resealable chest-wall surface for thoracotomy entry. Made for one-use-per-resident replacement.[1] | ||
| Subcutaneous fat | Emergency Department Thoracotomy Simulator (Misra) | Cast as a fat-coloured plastisol sheet sitting beneath the skin sheet; the two together form the replaceable chest-wall surface.[1] | ||
| Heart | Emergency Department Thoracotomy Simulator (Misra) | A gauze cone coated with plastisol. Primary target for pericardiotomy. Curing time is not stated in the source.[1] | ||
| Lung | Emergency Department Thoracotomy Simulator (Misra) | Soft packing foam shaped into a lung, wrapped in gauze and plastisol-coated to give lung-like bulk — the visualisation target on chest entry. The foam polymer and the curing time are not stated in the source.[1] | ||
| Aorta | Emergency Department Thoracotomy Simulator (Misra) | A gauze cone coated with plastisol, used as the descending-aorta cross-clamp target. Deliberately the same make-up as the esophagus model, so the two must be told apart by palpation.[1] | ||
| Esophagus | Emergency Department Thoracotomy Simulator (Misra) | Gauze coated with plastisol, with a nasogastric tube left inside the model. The tube is a deliberate tactile differentiator from the adjacent aorta during cross-clamping.[1] |
References
[edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Misra A, Chapman A, Watson WD, Bach JA, Bonta MJ, Elliott JO, Dominguez EP (2024). "Use of Low-Cost Task Trainer for Emergency Department Thoracotomy Training in General Surgery Residency Program." Journal of Surgical Education 81(1):134–144. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsurg.2023.09.009. PMID: 37926660.
Overview
[edit source]Sold as a liquid by the gallon and cured with heat. The one documented build — the Misra 2024 thoracotomy trainer cited above — uses medium-density liquid plastisol from Bait Plastics LLC at about US$50 per gallon, with a separate plastisol colourant at about US$15 for two 4 oz bottles, one skin colour and one fat colour. One gallon covers ten pairs of skin and fat sheets plus two sets of lung and heart models. Colourant brand and colour codes are not stated in the source.
Synonyms
[edit source]Common names: PVC plastisol, plastisol, liquid vinyl, soft plastic, vinyl compound
Trade and supply: bait plastic, lure plastic, medium-density liquid plastisol
Regional terms: Plastisol (Spanish), Plastisol (French), Plastisol (German), Plastisol (Italian)
Clinical Context for Simulation
[edit source]Processing & Preparation
[edit source]Safety Considerations
[edit source]Related Materials
[edit source]| Authors | Arturopelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturopelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Materials/PVC Plastisol". Appropedia. Retrieved July 23, 2026. |