Javier Rivera & Paulo Salinas

The rapid advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) has transformed our lives by connecting objects and creating an intelligent environment that drives automation and massive data collection. IoT has overcome challenges through remote monitoring, robotics, and sensors, with powerful wireless technologies opening up possibilities in various fields, including anatomical techniques.The objective of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of integrating IoT technology into the body maceration process by developing a low-cost, accessible, automated maceration control device compatible with theArduino IDE programming environment. Using an open-source NodeMCU system based on the ESP-12E chip, which employs the LUA programming language and is compatible with Arduino IDE, we incorporated a microSD card reader module for data storage, a digital temperature sensor (DS18B20), a clock module (DS3231), a magnetic stirrer, and an aquarium heater controlled by a digital thermostat with relay (W1209). To validate the device, we conducted maceration tests on C57BL mice, comparing two groups: Control (n=5; weight=17g) subjected to maceration in 4 liters of water at 10°C without agitation; Experimental (n=5; weight=17g) exposed to maceration in 4 liters of water at 35°C, with agitation at 1500 r/min and water flow renewal at a rate of 900 ml/h. Specimens were evaluated for their degree of maceration, cleaned, weighed, and photographed. The maceration time for the control and experi- mental groups was 730 hours and 60 hours, respectively. In the experimental group, no foul odors, damage, or bone demineralization were detected. The device cost was 60 USD, and programming through the Arduino IDE environment was straightforward. The focus on hardware contributed to accessibility and time savings. The system operated with a conventional power supply and required a water supply, making it adaptable to various configurations with greater capacity. Under this configuration, we effectively controlled the variables (temperature, agitation, and water flow). The NodeMCU-based bone maceration system improved the performance and adaptability of existing systems and increased accessibility by reducing costs, complexity, and foul odors.

KEY WORDS: Anatomy; Internet of Things; Anatomical Technique; Maceration; Arduino; Automation.

RIVERA, J. & SALINAS, P. Low-cost and accessible scale body maceration control system: Integration of internet of things-NodeMCU with Arduino-IDE. Int. J. Morphol., 42(5):1239-1247, 2024.