Composition and method for tissue preservation and embalming

Abstract

The present invention relates to the use of a composition comprising 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol for tissue preservation and more particularly for the preservation of bodies and anatomical parts or for carrying out embalming procedures.

Claims

1. An embalming method, comprising the step of injecting into the body to be embalmed a composition comprising 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, wherein said composition comprises from 5% to 8% by weight of 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol based on the total weight of the composition and wherein the composition is injected by cavity injection.

2. The embalming method of claim 1, wherein said composition comprises 5% by weight of 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol based on the total weight of the composition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition also comprises an anticoagulant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition also comprises a penetrating agent.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition also comprises an antiseptic.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the antiseptic is chosen between ethanol and methanol.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the composition comprises from 2% to 45% by weight of antiseptic based on the total weight of the composition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition also comprises a coloring.

9. A composition comprising 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol and an antiseptic selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol, said composition comprising from 5% to 8% by weight of 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol based on the total weight of the composition.

10. The composition of claim 9, also comprising an anticoagulant, a penetrating agent and optionally a coloring.

11. A composition consisting of 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol and an antiseptic selected from the group consisting of methanol and ethanol, and optionally a coloring, wherein the amount by weight of 2-bromo-2-nitropropan-1,3-diol is from 5% to 8% based on the total weight of the composition.

Description

EXPERIMENTAL SECTION

(1) IArterial Injection:

(2) To prepare the composition according to the invention, 1 liter of solution is prepared which is then diluted with 2 to 8 additional liters of water.

(3) The composition by mass is as follows: sodium citrate: from 2 to 15 g; glycerine: from 30 to 400 g; ethanol or methanol: from 20 to 350 g; amaranth or eosin: from 0 to 2.0 g; bronopol: more than 10 grams; water

(4) 1) Preparation of the Arterial Solution Before Injection:

(5) Two methods are possible, namely: either the concentrated solution is ready for use and in this case all that is needed is to add the desired additional volume of water (from 2 to 8, or up to 12 liters of additional water); or the concentrated solution is prepared without having introduced bronopol; thus, after introducing bronopol in the concentrated solution, the desired additional volume of water should be added.

(6) It is important to mention that the amount of water added, usually approximately 5 liters (or as much as 11 liters) to 1 liter of base solution, may be modified depending on the conditions observed at the time of injection. The state of the deceased and the causes of death may lead to different concentrations.

(7) For arterial injection, the following compositions were prepared and tested (these compositions are prepared for 1 liter of concentrated solution to which 5 liters of water are added):

(8) (1) composition containing 0.8% by weight of bronopol, which comprises:

(9) 49.8 g of bronopol;

(10) 9 g of citrate;

(11) 301.37 g of glycerine;

(12) 254.40 g (at 95%) of alcohol; and

(13) 4 drops of eosin.

(14) (2) composition containing 1.7% by weight of bronopol, which comprises:

(15) 100 g of bronopol;

(16) 5.5 g of citrate;

(17) 305 g of glycerine;

(18) 242 g (at 95%) of alcohol; and

(19) 4 drops of eosin.

(20) (3) composition containing 1.2% by weight of bronopol, which comprises:

(21) 72 g of bronopol;

(22) 9 g of citrate;

(23) 305 g of glycerine;

(24) 242 g (at 95%) of alcohol; and

(25) 4 drops of eosin.

(26) It should be noted that, for persons of very large build, more solution will have to be injected to obtain higher injection volumes. This preparation can be adapted to the morphology of the case being treated. If the person has been kept in a refrigerated environment or if there has been a delay in injection following death, the concentrations will have to be adjusted to obtain optimal quality results.

(27) 2) Injection Method:

(28) This operation uses the method generally used for embalming procedures, namely injection and drainage, said drainage being generally performed in the region of the right heart.

(29) Injection is carried out through the femoral, carotid or axillary arteries.

(30) The amount of fluid injected is approximately 6 liters, but this amount may vary depending on the state of the deceased and the diagnosis made by the embalmer, for example the need for more drainage.

(31) Additional tests were carried out.

(32) Accordingly, the following concentrated product, before dilution for injection, was prepared (composition 3):

(33) Bronopol: 72 grams

(34) Glycerine: 300 grams

(35) Methanol or ethanol: 240 grams

(36) Sodium citrate: 9 grams

(37) Eosin: a few drops

(38) Water: enough to make 1 liter.

(39) It should be noted that the means of varying the bronopol concentration are as follows:

(40) 1either the standard solution of the concentrated product with 72 g of bronopol is retained and enough water for dilution is added to adjust the final bronopol concentration (this means that the concentration of the other constituents may have to be changed depending on the amount of water added for dilution);

(41) 2or the bronopol content is adjusted in the concentrated solution which still comprises the same concentrations of the other components (apart from water, the quantity of which is adjusted to produce a liter); in this case, and in the standard solution above, the bronopol content may vary from 36 g to 144 g; the bronopol concentration therefore increases, for the same additional dilution (11 liters of water for 1 liter of concentrated solution, which is enough for two procedures each of 6 liters of diluted solution), from 0.3% to 1.2% bronopol with no change in the concentration (apart from the water) of the other components (a particular application of this example is a bronopol content of 48 g to obtain a diluted solution of 0.4% bronopol);

(42) 3or an intermediate solution between the two previous methods is used which consists in varying the content of the different components correlatively to obtain the selected target bronopol content (from 0.3% to 1.2%) and intermediate concentrations of the other components in the diluted solution compared with that obtained in each of the two previous methods.

(43) Next, the product to be injected is prepared from the above-mentioned concentrated product by dilution.

(44) Accordingly, a product is prepared with a bronopol concentration of 0.6% by diluting 1 liter of concentrated solution with 11 liters of water (in the knowledge that 6 liters of dilution solution are required per procedure).

(45) The composition per liter of the diluted ready-to-use solution (composition 3a) is therefore:

(46) Bronopol: 6 grams (0.6%)

(47) Glycerine: 25 grams (2.5%)

(48) Methanol or ethanol: 20 grams (2%)

(49) Sodium citrate: 0.75 grams per liter

(50) Eosin: a few drops

(51) Water: enough to make up 1 liter

(52) IICavity Injection:

(53) In the case of cavity injection (a zone which does not affect the physical presentation of the body), the object sought is to halt bacterial proliferation. Therefore only products that have an antibacterial action should be used, specifically bronopol and methanol or ethanol. Thus, in this embodiment, the use of glycerine and citrate is not mandatory. However, provision may be made for the possible use of citrate, for example.

(54) With regard to the concentrations and to increase the antibacterial effect, the bronopol and ethanol concentration is increased (see below) to a level of 5% bronopol and 40% of ethyl alcohol.

(55) To prepare the composition according to the invention, 0.5 liters of solution is prepared of which the composition by mass is as follows:

(56) bronopol: more than 10 g;

(57) ethanol or methanol: more than 100 g;

(58) water

(59) 1) Preparation of the Solution:

(60) Three methods may be considered, specifically: either the solution is ready for use; or the solution is a concentrated solution to which the necessary amount of water should be added; or bronopol is added before the procedure is carried out and the necessary water is added.

(61) For cavity injection, the following compositions were prepared and tested (these compositions are prepared for 500 ml and used as they are):

(62) (4) composition comprising:

(63) 40 g of bronopol (8%); and 257.31 g (at 95%) of alcohol.

(64) (5) composition comprising:

(65) 25 g of bronopol (5%); and 202 g (at 95%) of alcohol.

(66) 2) Injection Method:

(67) This operation uses the method widely practised in embalming procedures, that is, gas and fluid tapping in the region of the thoracic and abdominal cavities, and injection of the composition according to the invention into each of the cavities so that said composition is diffused optimally throughout the cavities concerned.

(68) Additional tests were carried out.

(69) Accordingly, the following product was prepared:

(70) Bronopol: 50 grams

(71) Methanol or ethanol: 400 grams

(72) Water: enough to make up 1 liter

(73) (This solution is enough for two procedures, knowing that for each procedure 0.5 liters of pure (undiluted) solution are injected in the cavities).

(74) The concentration of bronopol in the liquid is therefore 5%.

(75) Cavity injection is carried out using a solution that does not require dilution prior to injection.

(76) IIIDuration of the Procedure:

(77) The operating method for carrying out the procedure is identical to that used for a formaldehyde-based product. The duration of the entire procedure is identical, that is between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes (including make-up).

(78) IVResults:

(79) Still using an identical base of glycerine, ethanol or methanol, tests were carried out using the compositions described in the examples above (compositions (1), (2), (3) and (3a) for arterial injection and compositions (4) and (5) for cavity injection).

(80) As bronopol is one of the essential active ingredients in tissue preservation, varying it has a powerful influence on said preservation. The higher the concentration, the greater the preservation effect, but this may produce unwelcome factors with regard to the presentation of the bodies of the deceased.

(81) The choice of concentration is therefore the result of a suitable compromise between the two objects sought (preservation and presentation), the optimum for both objects (for bodies that do not have any special characteristic) having been determined as 0.6%.

(82) In the tests carried out, the bodies were observed for a maximum of fifteen days.

(83) The object of varying the bronopol concentration is to establish the optimum concentration to achieve satisfactory preservation of the body and good presentation without too much dehydration.

(84) The tests carried out on bodies that had no particular abnormality showed that a concentration of 0.6% bronopol led to satisfactory results.

(85) 1) Preservation of the Body:

(86) For cavity injection or arterial injection, a significant reduction in the decomposition of the body was observed in that:

(87) there was little change in the appearance of the deceased throughout the observation period;

(88) no gas appeared in the region of the cavities; and

(89) no particular odour was present during the observation period.

(90) 2) Appearance of the Deceased:

(91) After carrying out the procedure, rehydration of the tissue was observed, accompanied by good diffusion (fluidity) of the product according to the invention in the body. This was characterised by a more supple feel to the skin and a softer appearance. The deceased retained a natural appearance and did not have the waxy appearance often observed with injection using formalin products.

(92) The effects of bronopol are therefore satisfactory with regard to both preservation and the presentation quality of the deceased.

(93) The lack of decomposition, probably resulting from low bacterial growth, leads to the conclusion that sanitisation of the treated bodies is good.

(94) VComparison Between the Product and Formalin:

(95) The operational method for the procedure is identical to that used for formalin products.

(96) Regarding preservation of the bodies as such (over the observation period which was approximately fifteen days), it may be concluded that the effectiveness of the bronopol-based solutions and the formaldehyde-based solutions is identical. The essential difference lies in the appearance of the body which, as stated earlier, is more supple, with less degraded color and thus a generally more serene and relaxed appearance than is the case when a formaldehyde solution is used.

(97) As for solutions comprising formalin, the concentration of the product can be adjusted according to the nature of the bodies to be treated.

(98) Therefore: higher concentrations will be chosen for bodies with more advanced biological decomposition (that is, from approximately 0.8 to 1.2% by weight of bronopol); concentrations of from 0.4 to 0.8% will be chosen for normal bodies so as not to cause too rapid a drying of the tissue; for icterus (jaundice), the bronopol concentration may be further reduced to between 0.3 and 0.4%, which prevents the body from turning green and assists product diffusion in the tissue.

(99) VIPreservation of Anatomical Parts:

(100) 1. Tests were also carried out within the faculty of medicine in the context of the preservation of bodies for dissection.

(101) The results observed are very interesting, knowing that these tests were carried out by injection alone with no tapping.

(102) To obtain optimum preservation of the body, a bronopol concentration of 1% by weight was used for a total injected quantity of 4 liters.

(103) Since the base solution in this particular case was diluted with 3.5 liters and not 5.5 liters of water per 500 ml of solution, the alcohol, glycerine, citrate and eosin concentrations were also increased by a factor of about 1.5.

(104) The results obtained during dissections performed 14 and 16 days after death were very interesting. Moreover, very good results were obtained with regard to the state of preservation of the body and tissue suppleness, the blood being thickened, thus allowing observation and dissection in better conditions. A lack of odour was also noted.

(105) For example, the above-mentioned composition (2) was used on a subject of average build (a man who had been dead for eight days).

(106) Before the test was performed, very marked lividities, large green abdominal marks and sunken eyes (the body had been frozen) were observed.

(107) The product was then injected through the carotid artery in one pass (one times 3.6 liters of water and 400 ml of the above-mentioned composition (2)), for better product dilution (injection total=4 liters) (bronopol concentration=1%).

(108) The subject was moved alternately between the cold storage room (7 C.) and the autopsy table (25 C.).

(109) Result after injection: good fluid flow, placed in cold storage.

(110) Result on day 1: the body was taken out for practical work on the following day. No swelling was observed, only the arms showed significant venous signs, no green abdominal marks.

(111) Result on day 2: practical work carried outthe doctors dissected the neck, the muscles were of a good color, no odour. The doctor did not observe any difference from a recently deceased body that had not received a formalin injection.

(112) Result on day 6: the doctors removed the heart and lungs which were found to be of good quality. The viscera were well preserved which facilitated removal and gave the internal appearance of a recent, non-embalmed body. The blood was thickened.

(113) Additional tests were carried out.

(114) Accordingly, the concentrated solution used was exactly the same as that used for the family presentation procedures and therefore followed the rules stated above for preparation and dilution except that the amount of liquid injected into the body was only 4 liters in total (with no tapping and no cavity injection).

(115) A standard concentrated solution of 72 g of bronopol (composition 3) was therefore used, half a liter thereof being diluted with 3.5 liters of water to obtain a bronopol concentration of 0.9%.

(116) 2. Tests were also carried out in the faculty of medicine for organ preservation.

(117) More particularly, tests were carried out to preserve a heart. The results thus obtained for a heart preservation test over eight months showed that the heart had been preserved in excellent conditions.

(118) Dissection of the heart showed that the organ structure had not changed, the valve chords were very well preserved, the tissue was not particularly rigid and the morphology of the heart had been very well preserved.

(119) The heart was preserved by bathing said heart in a solution composed of 200 cm.sup.3 of the standard solution for family presentation preservation procedures at 72 grams of bronopol (composition 3) in 10 liters of water.

(120) The bronopol concentration of this solution was 0.15%.