3D Engineered Skin Substitutes for Irregular Wound Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional skin substitutes are not designed to conform to the shape of body parts, leading to laborious grafting procedures and ineffective coverage of irregularly shaped wounds, with multiple patches requiring extensive suturing and potentially failing over time.
Innovation Solution
3D human skin substitutes are developed in personalized shapes using a hollow and porous scaffold, allowing for direct application on target locations with reduced suturing and improved integration, mimicking physiological biomechanical forces for enhanced dermis and epidermis formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If conventional planar skin substitutes are used to cover large or irregular wound areas, then the wound can be covered, but the procedure becomes laborious requiring extensive suturing and long surgery times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar (2D) skin substitutes to three-dimensional (3D) skin substitutes that conform to the curvature and topology of body parts. This dimensional change allows a single graft to cover complex geometries that would require multiple planar patches, thereby reducing surgery time and suturing requirements while maintaining comprehensive wound coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs curved and three-dimensional skin substitute structures that match the natural curvature of body surfaces. By designing grafts with appropriate geometry (cylindrical, spherical, irregular 3D shapes), the patent enables seamless coverage of convex and concave body regions without requiring multiple flat patches stitched together, thus reducing procedural complexity and time.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple HSS patches are used on curved or irregularly-shaped body parts, then the wound area can be covered, but the patches may not fully integrate and may fail over the long term
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple planar patches into a single integrated three-dimensional skin substitute. This unified structure ensures continuous tissue architecture without the interfaces between separate patches, eliminating the risk of inter-patch failure and improving long-term reliability while maintaining complete coverage of irregular body surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
By moving from two-dimensional planar patches to three-dimensional conforming grafts, the invention creates a single cohesive unit that adapts to the target body surface. This 3D structure provides continuous tissue coverage without the discontinuities present in multiple stitched patches, thereby enhancing integration reliability and reducing the risk of long-term failure.
3Area of stationary object
If multiple HSS patches connected with sutures are used, then the wound area can be covered, but the appearance is not desirable and natural mobility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple patches into a single three-dimensional skin substitute that acts as one unified graft. This eliminates the need for numerous sutures connecting separate patches, thereby preserving natural body part mobility and improving cosmetic appearance while maintaining comprehensive wound coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The transition to three-dimensional conforming skin substitutes allows a single graft to cover complex body geometries that would otherwise require multiple patches. This reduces the number of sutures from dozens to minimal, enabling patients to move naturally without restriction from extensive stitching while achieving complete wound coverage.
4Area of stationary object
If conventional planar skin substitutes are used on irregular body parts, then the wound can be covered, but extensive bandaging is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs three-dimensional skin substitutes that conform to the natural topology and curvature of body parts. This geometric matching allows the graft to self-secure through its conformal fit, eliminating the need for extensive external bandaging that would be required for planar patches on irregular surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
By designing skin substitutes with appropriate three-dimensional geometries (cylindrical, spherical, irregular shapes) that match the target body surface, the invention creates inherent mechanical interlocking. This curvature-matched design provides stable coverage without requiring complex external bandaging systems, thereby simplifying the overall treatment protocol.
Data Source
AI summary
Engineered skin substitutes comprising an outer-facing portion and an inner-facing portion and methods of making the same are provided. The skin substitutes are configured to conform to a shape and a dimension of a body part of a subject, and have at least one surface that circles back on itself so as to enclose at least a portion of the body part. In some instances, dermis and epidermal layers can be formed in an air liquid interface. The exemplary skin substitutes are wearable and can be made to conform to a generic body part or a specific body part from a three-dimensional representation of the body part.