IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,517,082
Granted Patent B2
US 9,517,082 · App. 14/589,739 · Granted Dec 13, 2016

Methods for preparing a skin graft without culturing or use of biologics

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,517,082
App. No.
14/589,739
Filed
Jan 5, 2015
Granted
Dec 13, 2016
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3731
USPC
606/132
Abstract

The present invention generally relates to methods for preparing a skin graft without culturing or use of biologics.

Claims (29)

1. A method of skin grafting, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a skin graft device on a donor site, wherein the skin graft device comprises a hollow body;

creating a plurality of microblisters from the donor site by producing a negative pressure within the hollow body of the skin graft device;

placing a first substrate within said hollow body so as to contact at least a portion of said microblisters;

cutting the plurality of microblisters thereby creating a plurality of micrografts,

capturing the plurality of micrografts on the first substrate;

preparing said micrografts for transfer to a recipient site without culturing said micrografts or applying biologics to said micrografts; and

transferring said micrografts from said first substrate to a recipient site.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the micrografts has a lateral dimension less than about 2 mm.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the micrografts has a lateral dimension in a range of about 100 microns to about 1000 microns.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising expanding said first substrate thereby expanding a distance between each of the plurality of micrografts.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein expanding said first substrate is performed manually.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein expanding said first substrate is performed mechanically.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein expanding said first substrate is substantially uniform in all directions.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein expanding the substrate increases a ratio of an area of the recipient site to an area of the donor site by a factor in a range from about 10× to about 100×.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the recipient site comprises a burn.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the recipient site comprises an ulcerated tissue.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the recipient site comprises a depigmented tissue.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the depigmented tissue comprises vitiligo.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the micrografts from the first substrate to a second substrate.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second substrate has a greater affinity for the micrografts than the first substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second substrate comprises a hydrocolloid gel.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first substrate comprises a wetting agent.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the wetting agent is selected from the group consisting of water and saline.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate comprises an adhesive material.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the adhesive material comprises an adhesive spray.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises a deformable non-resilient material.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the deformable non-resilient material comprises polyurethane.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the donor site comprises a pigmented skin site.