Methods for preparing a skin graft without culturing or use of biologics
First Claim
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1. A method of skin grafting, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a device comprising a frame, a removable lid, a negative pressure chamber, an orifice plate fitted to an end of the chamber and having a plurality of openings through which skin blisters can be raised into an interior of the chamber, and a cutter integrated within the frame and being movable within the frame;
said removable lid having a port for coupling to a vacuum source for application of a negative pressure to said chamber, wherein said lid is fitted with a viewing lens for observing the interior of the chamber;
contacting the device to skin at a donor site;
applying a negative pressure to the chamber to raise portions of the donor site into said openings of the orifice plate so as to form a plurality of blisters;
observing the blister formation through said viewing lens; and
actuating the cutter to harvest the blisters.
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Abstract
The present invention generally relates to methods for preparing a skin graft without culturing or use of biologics.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of skin grafting, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a device comprising a frame, a removable lid, a negative pressure chamber, an orifice plate fitted to an end of the chamber and having a plurality of openings through which skin blisters can be raised into an interior of the chamber, and a cutter integrated within the frame and being movable within the frame;
said removable lid having a port for coupling to a vacuum source for application of a negative pressure to said chamber, wherein said lid is fitted with a viewing lens for observing the interior of the chamber;contacting the device to skin at a donor site; applying a negative pressure to the chamber to raise portions of the donor site into said openings of the orifice plate so as to form a plurality of blisters; observing the blister formation through said viewing lens; and actuating the cutter to harvest the blisters. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of treating vitiligo, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a device comprising a frame, a removable lid, a negative pressure chamber, an orifice plate fitted to an end of the chamber and having a plurality of openings through which skin blisters can be raised into an interior of the chamber, and a cutter integrated within the frame and being movable within the frame;
said removable lid having a port for coupling to a vacuum source for application of a negative pressure to said chamber, wherein said removable lid is fitted with a viewing lens for observing the interior of the chamber;contacting the device to skin at a donor site; applying a negative pressure to the chamber to raise portions of the donor site into said openings of the orifice plate so as to form a plurality of blisters; observing the blister formation through said viewing lens; actuating the cutter to harvest the blisters as an epidermal skin graft; preparing said graft for transfer to a recipient site without culturing said graft to apply biologics to said graft; and transferring said graft to the recipient site, wherein the recipient site is an area of depigmented skin that has been prepared to receive the skin graft. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification