Method and apparatus for tissue grafting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9827006-B2
Application number	US-93617309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2009
Priority date	Apr 1, 2008
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of apparatus and method for harvesting small portions of tissue (“micrografts”) to form grafts can be provided. For example, a hollow tube can be inserted into tissue at a donor site, where a distal end of the hollow tube can have two or more points or extensions to facilitate separation of the micrografts from the surrounding tissue. The exemplary apparatus can be provided that includes a plurality of such tubes for simultaneous harvesting of a plurality of micrografts. The harvested micrografts can have a small dimension, e.g., less than about 1 mm, or less than about 0.3 mm, which can promote healing of the donor site and/or viability of the harvested tissue. The micrografts can be approximately cylindrical or strip-shaped, and can be placed in a biocompatible matrix to form a graft or directly into tissue at the recipient site. Such exemplary micrografts can be obtained from skin or other types of tissue, e.g., various internal organs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for skin grafting comprising:
obtaining a plurality of skin micrografts from a donor site by;
in a first motion simultaneously inserting at least one section of each of a plurality of hollow tubes into the donor site to a depth at or proximal to the dermal/fatty tissue junction to sever and capture the skin micrografts within the tubes,
wherein each hollow tube comprises at least two points provided at a distal end thereof that are configured to facilitate insertion of the at least one section of each of the hollow tubes into the donor site,
wherein an angle is formed by at least one of the points,
wherein an inner diameter of each of the plurality of hollow tubes is between 0.2 mm and 1 mm in order to hold at least one correspondingly sized skin micrograft to facilitate viability of the micrograft and promote healing of the donor site;
in a second motion withdrawing the plurality of hollow tubes from the donor site without rotating the tubes, thereby removing the skin micrografts from the donor site;
removing the plurality of skin micrografts from the plurality of hollow tubes and distributing the skin micrografts at a recipient site to promote tissue growth at the recipient site.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the hollow tubes is between 0.2 mm and 0.5 mm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein an inner diameter of the hollow tubes between 0.2 mm and 0.3 mm.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the angle formed by at least one of the points is 30 degrees.

Assignees

• Anderson Richard R
• Hamblin Michael R
• Manstein Dieter
• Farinelli William A
• Massachusetts Gen Hospital

Inventors

• Anderson Richard R
• Hamblin Michael R
• Manstein Dieter
• Farinelli William A

Classifications

• A61B17/32053 Primary

  Punch like cutting instruments, e.g. using a cylindrical or oval knife (A61B17/326 takes precedence; trepans A61B17/1695) · CPC title

• A61B2017/00969

  used for transplantation · CPC title

• A61B10/0233

  Pointed or sharp biopsy instruments · CPC title

• A61B17/1635

  for grafts, harvesting or transplants · CPC title

• A61B2017/306

  holding by means of suction · CPC title