Curved Dermatome Blade Guide for Wider Skin Grafts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dermatomes limit the width of skin grafts due to a fixed blade contact area, which is inadequate for surfaces like the head where skin is tight to the skull, restricting the size of the harvested skin graft.
Innovation Solution
A dermatome with a blade holder and spacers that define a curved path for the blade, allowing a larger contact area and adjustable cutting gap, enabling a wider skin graft harvest by accommodating curved surfaces with customizable curvature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a straight blade with fixed contact area is used, then the device structure is simple, but the width of the harvested skin graft is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The blade holder incorporates a curved guide surface instead of a straight one, causing the blade to follow a curved path during oscillation. This curvature allows the blade to maintain contact with curved body surfaces (like the head), thereby increasing the effective contact area and the width of harvested skin grafts without significantly complicating the overall device structure
Solution Approach 2:
The blade holder is designed with an adjustable spacer that can be positioned at different locations along the curved guide surface. This allows the cutting gap and contact area to be dynamically adjusted based on the specific body surface being treated, enabling the device to adapt to different curvature radii and treatment requirements
2Length of moving object
If the blade contact area is increased for curved surfaces, then the skin graft width is improved, but the precision of cutting gap control may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The blade holder is segmented into distinct functional zones: a curved guide surface for blade path control, an adjustable spacer for gap control, and a locking mechanism for position fixation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the curved surface maximizes contact area while the precisely positioned spacer maintains cutting gap uniformity throughout the oscillation cycle
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a dermatome, comprising:a blade holder for holding a blade, said blade holder comprising at least one guiding element for guiding an oscillating movement of a said blade, andat least one spacer spaced apart from said blade holder for defining a cutting gap between a said blade held by said blade holder and said spacer,whereinsaid at least one guiding element and said at least one spacer define a curved path.The invention further relates to a blade, suitable to be used in such a dermatome, as well as an assembly of such a dermatome and such a blade.