Wetlab equipment · Made in Austria
Train on real tissue.
Real tissue is still the gold standard for many procedures. Everything you need to run a porcine or human-eye wetlab - holders, fixation, practice-grade instruments, knives and liquids - in one system.
Why train on real tissue?
Artificial eyes give you unlimited, standardised repetitions. Real tissue gives you the authentic feel of cutting, suturing and handling living-like structures. Most serious wetlabs use both - this page is about doing the real-tissue side properly.
Authentic feel
Real cornea, sclera and capsule respond the way tissue does in theatre - ideal for LASIK, cataract and anterior-segment steps.
Ready in minutes
Our holders, pads and pins fix a porcine or human eye in a stable, repeatable position so you spend time practising, not improvising.
One system
Fixation, instruments, liquids and recording are designed to work together - buy once, run every session.
Handling the eyes
A short, practical guide to sourcing, preparing and disposing of eyes for wetlab training. Porcine and human eyes differ most in sourcing, biosafety and regulation - so we cover them separately.
Sourcing
Porcine eyes are a by-product of the food industry, usually available from a local abattoir. Make sure the eyes are removed before the carcass is scalded - scalding detaches the cornea and ruins the eye for training. A pig of around six months gives the most human-like anatomy; sheep or cow eyes work too, but are anatomically less close.
Storage
Always store the eyes submerged in liquid - ideally BSS (balanced salt solution). Keep them as cold as possible but do not freeze. The surrounding water makes the tissue swell slightly, which can interfere with corneal work (see Preparation).
Freshness - rule of thumb
With good storage, plan the session by the deepest structure you want to reach:
Preparation & fixation
Bring the eye to at least room temperature before operating - cold tissue is stiffer. For corneal procedures, treating the eye with glycerin beforehand draws water back out of the swollen tissue. Then fix the globe with the Vacuum Holder 4 Pigs, Set Pad 4 Pigs or Pins for Fixation, and position it with Head 4 Eyes.
Hygiene & safety
Wear gloves and eye protection, work on a disinfectable surface and treat all material as biological waste. Clean and disinfect tools and holders after each session.
Disposal
Dispose of tissue in line with your local biological-waste regulations.
Sourcing
Human eyes are obtained only through an eye bank or an authorised institution, with proper donor consent and documentation. They are not sourced commercially like porcine eyes.
Storage & freshness
Follow the cold-chain and time-window protocol provided by the supplying eye bank / institution.
Preparation & fixation
The same fixation range works with human globes - Vacuum Holder 4 Pigs, Set Pad 4 Pigs, Pins for Fixation and Head 4 Eyes - for a stable, repeatable set-up.
Biosafety
Treat human tissue as potentially infectious. Follow your institution's biosafety level, use full PPE and observe local occupational-health rules.
Disposal
Dispose of as clinical / biohazard waste according to institutional and local regulations.
The real-tissue product system
Everything here is built for wetlab use on porcine and human eyes - including practice-grade instruments, knives and liquids, so you never have to open expensive sterile OR stock just to train. Tap any product to open it in the store.
Hold the eye steady
Vacuum holders, pads and fixation pins that lock a porcine or human globe into a stable, repeatable position for LASIK, cataract and anterior-segment practice.
Vacuum Holder 4 Pigs
Vacuum fixation for porcine & human eyes.
Set Pad 4 Pigs
Silicone holder set with needle-pin fixation.
Pins for Fixation
Fix porcine or human eyes on the pads.
Head 4 Eyes
Stable head holder - stackable and lightweight.
Cut, grasp and suture - without opening sterile stock
Practice-grade knives, blades, forceps and scalpels made for the wetlab. Reusable instruments and affordable single-use knives keep your sterile OR products for the operating theatre. Tap any instrument to open its product page.
Forceps & graspers
View all →Scissors
View all →Hooks, spatulas & manipulators
View all →Speculums, retractors, calipers & markers
View all →Knives
View all →Scalpels & blades
View all →Affordable substitutes for costly sterile fluids
OVD, heavy liquid, silicone oil, vitreous gel and staining dyes - practice-grade substitutes for the expensive sterile products you'd otherwise use up in training. Same handling, a fraction of the cost.
Heavy Liquid
Perfluorocarbon substitute for vitrectomy training.
Silicone Oil B
Tamponade substitute (B 1000 / B 5000).
Vitreous Body Gel
Synthetic vitreous humour substitute.
Methylcellulose OVD - Cohesive
Cohesive OVD substitute for the anterior chamber.
Methylcellulose OVD - Dispersive
Dispersive OVD substitute for the anterior chamber.
Dye 4 Capsule Bag
Trypan-blue substitute for capsule staining.
Dye for Vitreous
Triamcinolone substitute for vitreous visualisation.
Record and share every step
Capture the view for remote teaching, review and documentation.
Start here
Kit 4 Pigs
A ready-made bundle to kickstart your wetlab with porcine or human eyes - no sourcing of individual parts. Holder, pad, pins and the essentials in one box.
Not sure which setup fits?
Ask Vitreo, our free AI configurator. It recommends the right eyes, holders, instruments and consumables for your procedure and budget - and can unlock up to -10%.
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