TissueDB/Materials/PVC Plastisol
License: CC-BY-3.0 by Isaac Rubens
PVC plastisol, also written PVC plastisol compound, 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.
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.[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.[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
- ↑ 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.
| Authors | Ian-laurel, Arturo Pelayo |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Cite as | Arturo Pelayo (2026). "TissueDB/Materials/PVC Plastisol". Appropedia. Retrieved November 10, 2026. |