초록

The present invention provides skin grafting and devices that comprise a systematic approach to the process of skin grafting, i.e., harvesting, post-excision processing and application of donor skin and pre and post-graft treatment of the recipient site.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A skin-harvesting device, comprising: a base, comprising a base plate with side rails, a proximal end, a distal end, two side ends and defining a window adjacent to the proximal end, and adapted during use to be pressed against a harvest site; and a cutting frame, comprising

What is claimed is: 1. A skin-harvesting device, comprising: a base, comprising a base plate with side rails, a proximal end, a distal end, two side ends and defining a window adjacent to the proximal end, and adapted during use to be pressed against a harvest site; and a cutting frame, comprising a frame base configured to slide in the side rails, a blade housing adapted to house a blade at a predetermined angle therein, wherein said blade is aligned traverse to the side ends and generally parallel to the proximal end and wherein the predetermined angle of the blade relative to the proximal end forms an oblique angle, and an adjustable thickness plate coupled to the cutting frame and adapted to raise or lower to vary thickness of any material cut by the blade, wherein the window is configured to allow a user to see a harvest site during use. 2. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising a motor having an axle coupled through the cutting frame to the blade and adapted to oscillate the blade. 3. The skin-harvesting device of claim 2, further comprising a power source connected to the motor. 4. The skin-harvesting device of claim 3, wherein the power source comprises a battery pack connected to the motor. 5. The skin-harvesting device of claim 2, further comprising an ergonomic cover housing the cutting frame and motor, the ergonomic cover defining a skin-graft retrieval area to allow during use access to skin collected after harvesting. 6. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, wherein the side rails are internal slide rails formed at the side ends of the base and further comprising track fixtures positioned on lateral ends of the cutting frame, the track fixtures being adapted to slide in the slide rails of the base and thereby translate the cutting frame along the base. 7. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, wherein the side rails are external slide rails formed at side ends of the base and further comprising track fixtures positioned on lateral ends of the cutting frame, the track fixtures being adapted to slide in the external slide rails of the base and thereby translate the cutting frame along the base. 8. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, wherein the base has an open end to allow the cutting frame to be removed from or placed within the base. 9. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, wherein the blade is coupled to the blade housing via thermoplastic welding or via fasteners. 10. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising tab portions positioned along the proximal end of the base adjacent the window to provide a user with an area to apply pressure to the base during use of the device. 11. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising grips positioned on the base adapted to allow a user an area to apply pressure to the base during use of the device. 12. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising grips positioned on the cover adapted to provide a user an area to grip the cover to translate the cover within the base during use of the device. 13. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ridges formed on the skin-facing surface of the adjustable thickness plate, the plurality of ridges being adapted to during use grip the skin prior to incision. 14. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, wherein the base further comprises a plurality of ridges formed on the skin-facing surface of the base adjacent the window adapted during use to grip the skin adjacent the base window. 15. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener coupled through the cutting frame to the adjustable depth plate adapted to raise and lower the adjustable depth plate. 16. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising a skin-depth wheel or a skin-depth slide positioned on the cover and coupled to the adjustable thickness plate to raise or lower the adjustable thickness plate with respect to the skin during use. 17. The skin-harvesting device of claim 16, further comprising indicia printed on the cover adjacent the skin-depth wheel or skin-depth slide to indicate the depth of the adjustable thickness plate when the skin-depth wheel is rotated or the skin-depth slide is moved. 18. The skin-harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising a roller wheel positioned before the blade and blade holder and rotating about an axle coupled to the cover, wherein said roller wheel comprises a plurality of teeth about the perimeter of the wheel adapted during use to puncture or hook the skin prior to incision by the blade adapted to secure the skin onto the roller wheel after severance. 19. A device for collecting tissue for skin-grafting, comprising a base plate defining a base window at a forward end thereof and having slide rails positioned at lateral internal edges of the base plate; a frame base adapted to slide in the slide rails of the base plate; a frame connected to the frame base; a plurality of slides coupled along lateral edges of the frame and adapted to engage the slide rails and slide freely therethrough; base grips positioned along lateral ends of the base plate and adapted to support pressure during use from a user thereon; an ergonomic cover adapted to encompass the frame and frame base and defining a cover window at a forward end thereof; cover grips positioned at lateral edges of the cover adapted to allow during use a user to firmly grip the cover and apply pressure thereon during use of the device; a motor coupled to the frame; a power source connected to the motor; a blade holder coupled to a forward section of the frame via a guide pin; a blade coupled to the blade holder at a predetermined angle; an adjustable depth plate coupled to the frame adjacent and forward from the blade holder; and a cam connected to the adjustable depth plate having a cam dial adapted to control the raising and lowering of the adjustable depth plate with respect to the base window, wherein the cover window is configured to allow a user to see skin harvested from the harvest site. 20. A method of harvesting skin comprising: contacting a skin harvest site with the skin-harvesting device of claim 1; applying pressure to the base of the skin-harvesting device such that skin from the harvest site protrudes through the window in the base plate of said harvesting device; adjusting the adjustable thickness plate of the harvesting device to press the skin protruding through the window to form a uniform surface substantially parallel to the base; and harvesting the a split-thickness skin sample by translating the cutting frame along the base of the harvesting device. 21. A method of collecting skin for a skin-graft, comprising: pressing the device of claim 19 against a skin donor such that a uniform surface of donor skin protrudes substantially parallel to the base through the base window; pressing the adjustable depth plate against the donor skin such that the protruding donor skin is of uniform thickness; and sliding the frame coupled to the blade holder along the base so as to sever the protruding donor skin.