Thursday, January 6, 2011

C18 Brain Model from 3B Scientific

I recently purchased 3B Scientific's C18 Brain Model for use in academic research. It is a 5-part midsagitally sectioned brain taken from the cast of an actual human brain.

Pluses
  • Taken from the cast of an actual human brain so it's very accurate.
  • Nicely detailed and very clearly labeled. (A user manual with structure names is included.)
  • Constructed out of rubber material making it unbreakable.
  • The sections are held together by metal connecting pins that snap securely into place. I have seen other cheaper models that use screws for connectors making disassembling/assembling tough.
  • Comes with a plastic display stand.
  • Construction is very nice and has a professional feel. Other budget brain models don't have the same visceral build quality.
Minuses
Really none, but...
  • One nitpick I have is the manual only contains names of the structures; It does not contain pictures or additional descriptive information. This isn't a big deal since I could just look it up the on the web, but it would be really nice to have this information right in the manual. (I plan on putting a pdf together that contains pictures and descriptions. I'll post it on this blog shortly.)
  • Most important structures are visible however one structure that I'm currently researching, the amygdala, is not visible. As you can see from the 2nd photo below, the amygdala falls in about the same location as the connecting pin for the temporal lobe and encephalic trunk pieces. 

(Click images to enlarge)
Assembled, with manual.
5 pieces (left lobe stays intact).












I would highly recommend this model based on it's realism, build quality, and value. It's definitely something that could be used in the academic and professional arenas.

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