Absorbent Substrates For Harvesting Skin Grafts

• US 20140277454A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solventum Intellectual Properties Company (Solventum Corp.)
• Original Assignee: KCI Licensing Incorporated (3M Company)
• Inventors: Locke, Christopher Brian, Robinson, Timothy Mark, Harper, John R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,962,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/15.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/322 Skin grafting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/3225 with processing of harvested tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/00051 Accessories for dressings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0206 with absorbent fibrous layers, e.g. woven or non-woven absorbent pads or island dressings
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0213 the fluid retention member being a layer of hydrocolloid, gel forming material
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0223 characterized by parametric properties of the fluid retention layer, e.g. absorbency, wicking capacity, liquid distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0226 characterised by the support layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/025 having a special distribution arrangement of the adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/0259 characterised by the release liner covering the skin adhering layer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0095 Packages or dispensers for prostheses or other implants for intraocular lenses A61F2/1691; for dental surgery A61C19/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/105 Skin implants, e.g. artificial skin

Abstract

Methods and devices for management of fluids during skin graft transplantation are disclosed. In one aspect of the invention, absorbent substrates for transplanting skin grafts are disclosed having a surface adapted to contact at least one excised skin graft and engage said graft for removal from a donor site; a sealing member at least partially surrounding an absorbent material disposed within the enclosure; wherein at least a portion of the skin-contacting surface is porous and in fluid communication with the absorbent layer to capture fluids.

Claims

1. An absorbent substrate for transplanting a skin graft, comprising

a base layer having a surface adapted to contact at least one excised skin graft and engage said graft for removal from a donor site;

a sealing member peripherally joined to the base layer and defining an enclosure therebetween; and

an absorbent material disposed within the enclosure;

wherein at least a portion of the base layer is porous and in fluid communication with the absorbent layer to capture fluids.

2. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the base layer is configured to be positioned in a chamber of a skin graft harvesting device.

3. The substrate of claim 2 wherein the base layer is configured to capture a plurality of skin grafts at the same time.

4. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the base layer comprises a biocompatible material.

5. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the biocompatible material is selected from the group of silicones, silicone gels, soft silicones, hydrocolloids, hydrogels, polyurethanes, polyurethane gels, polyolefins, polyolefin gels, hydrogenated styrenic copolymers, hydrogenated styrenic copolymer gels, foamed gels and combinations thereof.

6. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the base layer comprises a silicone.

7. The substrate of claim 1 wherein a skin graft contacting portion of the base layer has an average thickness between about 500 microns (μ

m) and about 1000 microns (μ

m).

8. The substrate of claim 1 wherein a skin graft contacting portion of the base layer has a stiffness between about 5 Shore OO and about 80 Shore OO.

9. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate further comprises an adhesive associated with at least a part of the base layer.

10. The substrate of claim 9 wherein the substrate further comprises a pattern of adhesive sites on a skin contacting surface of the base layer, each site arranged and configured to engage a corresponding skin graft raised by a skin graft harvesting device.

11. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate further comprises a pattern of adhesive sites printed on at least a portion of a skin-contacting surface of the base layer.

12. The substrate of claim 9 wherein the adhesive comprises an acrylic adhesive.

13. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the porous base layer further comprises a plurality of pores to provide passageways from fluid transport from the recipient site to the absorbent material.

14. The substrate of claim 13 wherein the base layer comprises foamed polymer.

15. The substrate of claim 13 wherein the base layer comprises a fluid permeable polymeric material.

16. The substrate of claim 13 wherein the base layer comprises a fibrous material.

17. The substrate of claim 16 wherein the fibrous material comprises a plurality of microfibers having an average diameter of about 0.1 to about 10 micrometers.

18. The substrate of claim 16 wherein the fibrous material comprises a plurality of nanofibers having an average diameter of about 1 to about 100 nanometers.

19. The substrate of claim 16 wherein the fibrous material comprises a plurality of nanofibers having an average diameter of about 20 to about 80 nanometers.

20. The substrate of claim 13 wherein the pores have an average cross-section dimension ranging from about 1 nanometers to about 1 millimeter.

21. The substrate of claim 13 wherein the pores have an average cross-section dimension ranging from about 1 nanometer to about 100 micrometers.

22. The substrate of claim 3 wherein the base layer is patterned to define a plurality of skin graft capture sites and wherein the base layer further comprises a network of pores disposed between at least some of the capture sites.

23. The substrate of claim 22 wherein the pores are generally circular and have an average cross-section dimension ranging from about 1 nanometers to about 1 millimeter.

24. The substrate of claim 23 wherein the openings have average cross-section dimension ranging from about 1 nanometers to about 100 micrometer.

25. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate further comprises at least one wicking layer disposed in the enclosure and adapted to distribute fluid to the absorbent material.

26. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate further comprises at least a first wicking layer disposed in the enclosure between the base layer and the absorbent material.

27. The substrate of claim 26 wherein the substrate further comprises at least a second wicking layer disposed in the enclosure between the absorbent material and the sealing member.

28. The substrate of claim 27 wherein the first wicking layer has a grain structure adapted to wick fluid along a surface of the first wicking layer, and wherein the second wicking layer has a grain structure adapted to wick fluid along a surface of the second wicking layer.

29. The substrate of claim 28 wherein the absorbent material comprises a plurality of absorbent layers, and wherein the plurality of absorbent layers are positioned in fluid communication between the first wicking layer and the second wicking layer.

30. The substrate of claim 29 further comprising at least one intermediate wicking layer disposed in fluid communication between the absorbent layers.

31. The substrate of claim 27 wherein a peripheral portion of the first wicking layer is coupled to a peripheral portion of the second wicking layer providing a wicking layer enclosure surrounding the absorbent layer between the first and the second wicking layer.

32. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the absorbent material is comprised of a hydrophilic material that is adapted to absorb fluid.

33. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the sealing member is liquid impermeable.

34. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the sealing member comprises polyurethane.

35. The substrate of claim 1 further comprising at least one a port for coupling to the reduced pressure source to extract accumulated fluids from the substrate.

36. The substrate of claim 35 wherein the port further comprises a valve.

37. The substrate of claim 35 wherein the port further comprises a conduit providing fluid communication between the absorbent material or at least one wicking layer within the chamber to an external fluid receptacle.

38. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises at least one removable backing for handling the substrate prior to positioning in a skin graft harvester.

39. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises at least one removable backing for handling the substrate prior to positioning at a recipient site.

40. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises at least a first removable backing associated with the base layer for handling the substrate prior to positioning in a skin graft harvester and a second removable backing for handling the substrate and an associated skin graft prior to positioning at a recipient site.

41. The substrate of claim 1 wherein the base layer and the absorbent material are formed as a unitary structure.

42-88. -88. (canceled)