COMPOSITION FOR THE CONSERVATION/FIXATION OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL

Abstract

This invention relates to a liquid-based composition consisting of a mixture of methylethylketone peroxide between 30 and 40%, Methylethylketone between 0 and 5%, hydrogen peroxide between 0 and 5%, diisobutrate of 1-Isopropyl-2,2-Dimethyltrimethylene between 40 and 50% and Diacetone alcohol between 5 and 10%, isobutyl alcohol and glycerol and its use for the fixation and/or conservation of organic material such as isolated organs and tissues, cells of animal or vegetable origin. The invention also relates to a method for the embalming of corpses comprising the injection of such composition into the blood and/or lymphatic vascular system of an animal or vegetable organism.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method for fixing or preserving organic material comprising contacting the organic material with a non-aqueous liquid composition comprising methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the composition comprises about 30-40% of MEKP by volume.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the composition comprises as its main active ingredient a solution comprising about 30-40% MEKP by volume, about 0-5% methyl ethyl ketone, about 0-5% hydrogen peroxide, about 40-50% diisobutrato of 1-Isopropyl-2,2-dimethyltrimethylene, and about 5-10% diacetone alcohol, wherein the main active ingredient is present in the composition at about 30-70% by volume.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the composition further comprises glycerin in a proportion between 15-35% by volume.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the composition further comprises 15-35% of isobutyl alcohol by volume, a dye, an aromatic agent, or any combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the composition further comprises glycerin in a proportion between 15-35% by volume, and isobutyl alcohol in a proportion between 15-35% by volume.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the organic material is an organ, a tissue, an animal cell, or a vegetable cell.

18. A method for preparing a non-aqueous liquid composition for fixing and/or preserving organic materials comprising mixing a non-aqueous liquid solution comprising methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) with isobutyl alcohol and glycerin.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the solution further comprises about 30-40% MEKP by volume, about 0-5% methyl ethyl ketone, about 0-5% hydrogen peroxide, about 40-50% diisobutrato of 1-Isopropyl-2,2-dimethyltrimethylene, and about 5-10% diacetone alcohol, wherein the main active ingredient is present in the composition at about 30-70% by volume, wherein the solution is present in the composition at about 30-70% by volume.

20. A non-aqueous liquid composition manufactured by the method according to claim 18.

21. A non-aqueous liquid composition comprising as its main active ingredient a solution comprising about 30-40% methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) by volume, about 0-5% methyl ethyl ketone by volume, about 0-5% hydrogen peroxide by volume, about 40-50% diisobutrato of 1-Isopropyl-2,2-dimethyltrimethylene by volume, and about 5-10% diacetone alcohol by volume.

22. A method for perpetually and/or temporarily embalming a dead animal body comprising injecting into blood and/or a lymphatic system a non-aqueous liquid composition according to claim 21.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the animal body is a human body.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED FORMS OF REALIZATION

[0020] The following is a detailed description of various objects of the invention.

[0021] Composition

[0022] The composition described here, as stated above, it is appropriate to the fixation and/or preservation of biological/organic materials such as organs, tissues and cells of animal and/or vegetable origin. Preferably, the biological material is of human origin.

[0023] The composition includes as main active ingredient a solution consisting of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide also known as 2-butanone peroxide or MEK peroxide (MEKP) present in a percentage between 30 and 40%, methylethylketone between 0 and 5%, hydrogen peroxide between 0 and 5%, diisobutyrate by 1-Isopropyl-2.2-Dimethyltrimethylene between 40 and 50% and diacetone alcohol between 5 and 10%. The main ingredient is the ingredient present in the compositions in greater quantities. In particular, the quantity of the described solution in the composition is between 30% and 70% by volume of the composition.

[0024] The composition also includes iso-butyl alcohol and glycerine. In particular, glycerin is present in a percentage between 35% and 15% (in volume of total composition). Iso-butyl alcohol can be present in a percentage between 35% and 15%.

[0025] In a form of realization of the invention, the composition comprises 50% by weight of the solution referred to in point 10, 25% by weight of Glycerin and 25% by volume of alcohol isobutyl.

[0026] According to the applicative purposes the composition can further include a dye and/or an aromatic agent too. The amount of the dye and/or of the aromatic agent within the composition may vary between 0% and 10% of the composition, resulting in proportional and parallel reduction of the percentages of the other components.

[0027] Any coloring and flavoring substance known in the state of the art and deemed suitable by the person skilled in the branch for the purposes of this invention may be embodied in the composition described here.

[0028] The composition as described above can be prepared using any method considered by the certification of useful for the purpose of this invention. For example, a possible preparation procedure may include a mixture of methylethylketoneperoxide with isobutyl alcohol and then add to the mixture of glycerol. That procedure also could include an additional step of adding the dye and/or the aromatic agent to the mix including MEKP, isobutyl, and glycerol. Mixing can be conducted at room temperature.

[0029] The composition of which at the invention may be used as such, in diluted form or with dye and/or flavoring according to the applicative technical requirements, without constituting a new composition.

[0030] Use and Method

[0031] The use of the composition of the invention for the fixation and/or preservation of organic/biological materials is hereby described.

[0032] By the term fixation and/or preservation of organic tissues, this patent application refers to the slowing of the chemical and physical deterioration processes that cause a biological material following the removal/expulsion from its physiological environment or of the death of the organism.

[0033] For the purposes of the present invention for organic material are meant isolated organs, tissues, cells of animal and vegetable origin. In particular, the use of the composition as described here is in the fixation and/or preservation of organic material of animal and vegetable origin, including: the full body animal, isolated organs, tissues, cells, the plant or parts of it.

[0034] Therefore, a subject of the present invention is also a method for the temporarily or perpetually embalming of a deceased animal body comprising a passage of injection into the vascular system of the composition. In addition is the subject of this invention

[0035] also the use of the mixture for the antiparasitic treatment and preservation of wood-based materials.

Experimental Section

[0036] The composition of the invention was tested in the laboratory for the conservation and anatomical preparation of organic tissues of animal origin including human tissue. Experiments have shown that the composition described here is characterized by low toxicity and high conservative efficacy.

[0037] Tests that have been conducted on tissues, isolated organs and animal corpses in toto and have demonstrated the conservative efficacy of the formulation for over six months.

[0038] In this case, the treated parts have been retained over time, at room temperature, shape, volume, elasticity, indicating the absence of putrefactive phenomena.

[0039] Tests were performed both by imbibition (immersion of the sample in the solution) and by superficial application (brushing the outer surfaces of the sample), and by forced inoculation of the fluid in the anatomic and vascular cavities.

[0040] We treated and examined:

[0041] vertebrate animals (36 specimens) found lifeless, by gathering in mountain areas where there were abundant communities of marten, wild boar, crow, mouse, squirrels etc;

[0042] invertebrate animals (14 specimens) found lifeless by collecting on mountain roads in the spring;

[0043] tissues, organs isolated from human corpses of anatomical-pathological or forensic expertise.

[0044] On the basis of the tests carried out the results were even better in the preservation of nucleic acids.

[0045] This allows the investigation of molecular profiling to also use archive material, allowing to expand the case study.

[0046] In addition, the formulation to the study, unlike formaldehyde (and formalin) does not seem to interfere with forensic investigations, in particular toxicological ones, as it reduces the enzymatic activity and does not seem to alter, by chemical reaction, exogenous molecules that may be present in tissues and biological fluids and does not interfere with the determination of ethyl alcohol.

[0047] This property allows the use of tissues for judicial purposes even after an eventual embalming or encoffining in case of exhumation and in the case of isolated and preserved organs.

The present invention was so far described with reference to favorite forms of realization. It means that there may be other forms of realization that relate to the same inventive nucleus, as defined by the scope of protection of the claims below.