Abstract: A method for forming skin grafts by cutting skin present on a carrier, using cutting means, whereby the carrier is present in a holder. The present invention furthermore relates to a holder, a carrier, a cutting table, a contra carrier, an ejector and a clamping means, and to a method for applying skin grafts to a burn.

Abstract: A suture anchor is described which in one form may be easily fabricated from extruded material by angular cuts and bore holes which provide an offset pulling force to the suture. In an alternate and preferred embodiment the suture anchor is injection molded having an annular displaced corner and abutment wall which act to seat the suture anchor firmly within a bore hole. Novel application means are also disclosed which hold the suture anchor on a frangible shaft for insertion and upon completion of the insertion permit fracture of the frangible portion and removal of the instrument.

Abstract: A system for the removal of epidermal and dermal skin through the use of a pressurized stream of water. The surgeon chooses the pressure of the water to obtain the desired abrasive affect. In one embodiment of the invention, a benign abrasive is added to the water to assist in the removal of the surface cells of the skin. In other embodiments, a variety of medications are added to the water such as: anesthetics to deaden the skin being abraded; coagulants to minimized bleeding in the abraded area; and antiseptics to combat infection after treatment is applied. In one embodiment of the invention, a catch reservoir is positioned around the site being treated to collect and withdraw the spent liquid and removed cells.

Abstract: A method for forming skin grafts by cutting skin present on a porous carrier, using a cutting device. The carrier has a first side on which skin can be placed and a second side remote from the skin an present in a holder. The skin is placed on a first side of the porous carrier wherein a sub-atmospheric pressure is generated in the holder, on to the second side of the carrier remote from the skin, after which the skin is cut into skin grafts by the cutting device.

Abstract: A multipurpose handpiece for use with an abrasive material delivery system is disclosed wherein the handpiece includes channels for delivery and removal of an abrasive material applied to a patient's skin. The invention includes a multi-port applicator for selectively applying the abrasive material, said application of abrasive material suited for different areas of tissue such as stomach versus eye lids. The present invention comprises a pair of tubings connected to a housing for delivery and vacuum removal of abrasive material, and a flow regulator disposed within the housing. Connected to the housing at an application end is a resurfacing applicator with a plurality of differing sized openings designed for different types of tissue. The present invention includes means for blocking the unused openings while permitting injection of the abrasive material through a selected opening. The blocking of the unused openings may be achieved by a shield or covers for each opening.

Abstract: A device for removing unwanted hair, including a hair-plucking assembly and a vibrating assembly adjacent the hair-plucking assembly, wherein the device removes hair by uprooting it while vibrating the skin to minimize discomfort.

Abstract: A dermatome for improved cutting of tissue comprises: a blade assembly, including a blade and a blade carrier; a rotational drive assembly; and a housing which engages the blade assembly to constrain the movement of any point on the blade assembly to bidirectional linear movement over a predefined linear range, wherein the engaged blade assembly forms a cover for the housing so that the housing in combination with the engaged blade assembly defines a closed space which surrounds the rotational drive assembly while the blade assembly moves over the predefined linear range. The entire blade assembly may be releasable from the housing, or the blade may be releasable from the blade carrier which remains non-releasably engaged with the housing.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a skin graft preparation device, or mesher. This device is designed to incise and "mesh" a piece of skin, usually prior to grafting to allow it to expand and cover an area larger than its donor site area. More specifically, the invention relates to an adjustable mesher device wherein the mesher has an adjustable meshing drum (roller) or drums useful for the meshing of the entire range of meshing ratios, thus eliminating the need to keep various meshing devices. Another embodiment of the mesher has two consecutive meshing drums. A further embodiment of the mesher has a rotatable common holder allowing selection from a number of meshing drums. These meshers can mesh skin in both powered and manual modes of operation and may be used with most existing graft carriers or may be used without any carrier. The present invention further relates to a system for using the mesher.

Abstract: Grafts containing intact hair follicles are transected into smaller grafts containing transected follicles. Each smaller graft is then implanted individually into incisions within a recipient area.

Abstract: A device and method for producing a large number of micrografts of hair-bearing tissue in a reduced time are provided. The micrografts so produced are suitable for surgical transplantation and are seen to be both consistent in size and fertile with respect to the survival rate of the follicle-bearing tissue so transplanted.

Abstract: A hair transplant mechanism in which a cartridge holding numerous hair micrografts feeds a plunger mechanism. The plunger mechanism presses individual hair micrografts through a barrel to be deposited into an incision formed by a scalpel. The mechanism, using this arrangement, allows the surgeon to create an incision along a designated line and to implant the hair micrografts in a one step operation.

Abstract: The dermatome includes a blade assembly comprising a metal blade with fixedly attached thermoplastic carrier. The assembly is releasably mounted to the dermatome housing. A linear drive mechanism-that includes guide members and spring biasing of the blade assembly ensures linear, reciprocating blade movement that prolongs blade life. The linear drive mechanism is housed in a manner that facilitates cleaning and sterilization of the dermatome.

Abstract: An ophthalmologic knife includes a handle, and a blade having a base portion fixed to the tip of the handle and an incision-forming portion integrally formed with the base portion. The entire portion of the blade or at least part of the incision-forming portion which is inserted into the cornea of an eyeball has an arcuate cross section. By using the ophthalmologic knife, a three-dimensional incision having an arcuate cross section is formed in the cornea or the like. When a three-dimensional object having a cylindrical cross section or the like is inserted into the incision, the convex portion surrounded by the incision is bent toward the inside of the eyeball. This allows smooth insertion of the object.

Abstract: A substantially conical suture anchor having a bore in which an end of an insertion tool is inserted. The inserted end of the insertion tool is made of shape retaining material. The bore and base of the suture anchor are angled with respect to the central axis of the suture anchor and preferably are parallel to each other. During insertion, the suture anchor, mounted on the insertion tool, is reoriented to fit into the hole, thereby bending the shape memory end of the insertion tool. When the suture anchor is within cancellous bone tissue, the shape memory of the insertion tool urges the suture anchor to its original position (in which the suture anchor cannot fit through the bone hole). The suture anchor is thereby firmly anchored in the human bone.

Abstract: A system for transplanting hair grafts from a donor region of a patient's scalp to a recipient region of the patient's scalp. The system includes harvesting N (N.gtoreq.1) strips of skin containing living hair follicles from the donor region of the patient's scalp, the N strips of skin being harvested simultaneously, and cutting the N strips of skin into hair grafts, the N strips of skin being cut simultaneously. The system also includes loading the hair grafts sequentially, bottom down, into a removable cartridge connected to an instrument for implanting the hair grafts into the recipient region of the patient's scalp, the hair grafts being loaded so as to create an air seal between the hair grafts and the cartridge, and implanting the hair grafts.

Abstract: The invention concerns a skin substitute composed of a dermis equivalent covered with an epidermis equivalent. The dermis equivalent is a film formed from a type I collagen gel containing fibroblasts. The epidermis equivalent incorporates a basal membrane equivalent, basal layer cells, in a palisade arrangement attached to the membrane equivalent by hemidesmosomes, cells of the suprabasal layers, granular cells, and flat, keratinized cells arranged near the free surface.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for surgical cutting of strips of scalp into multiple calibrated hair grafts, of identical small size. The device has a blade holder designed to allow vertical positioning of multiple parallel and equidistant blades, so that the cutting edges of said blades are aligned in one and the same horizontal plane, these blades then projecting from a support surface, and a plate of flexible material is intended to be placed flush with the cutting edges of the blades and is associated with an applicator associated with retention or abutment and, if appropriate, guide means making it possible to apply or press this plate onto the cutting edges of the blades, parallel to said support surface, while ensuring that this plate does not move beyond a limit position set at a distance from the support surface which is greater than the thickness of the strips for which the surgical cutting device is intended.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for obtaining a skin substitute and the skin substitute itself. According to this process, a dermis substitute is prepared by mixing contractile cells, a nutritive medium, and collagen, in order to form a contracting gel; this dermis substitute is used as a substrate for an epidermis substitute obtained by culturing, using keratinocytes from an animal or human skin sample. According to the invention, the substrate is implanted with at least one section of a hair follicle retaining at least partially its cellular sheath, this section being implanted perpendicularly to the free surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A method of and instrument for use in micrograft implantation of hair grafts which typically include only one or at most a few hair follicles. A scalp incision is made with the tip of a microsurgical blade. A follicle end of a hair graft is grabbed with a grabbing edge and dragged down a surface of the microsurgical blade to the base of the incision, all the while leaving the tip of the microsurgical blade in place in the scalp incision. The microsurgical blade is withdrawn from the scalp incision while holding the hair graft in place at the base of the scalp incision with the grabbing edge. Finally, the grabbing edge is withdrawn from the scalp incision while leaving the hair graft implanted in the scalp incision.

Abstract: An instrument for transplanting a plurality of hair grafts into respective pre-formed holes in the skin of a patient, includes an elongate hollow tube having first and second ends, and an open channel extending along a length of the tube, the tube being adapted to hold a plurality of hair grafts, and a dilation device for dilating the pre-formed holes in the skin of the patient, including a spoon-shaped tip extending from the first end of the tube. Additionally, a method for transplanting hair grafts is provided, wherein the tube is loaded with a plurality of hair grafts, and the spoon-shaped tip is successively inserted into the pre-formed holes to dilate same, and sliding the hair grafts into respective, dilated pre-formed holes. In another aspect of the invention, the hair transplant instrument has a multiplicity of channels, each containing a hair graft.

Abstract: A substantially conical suture anchor having a bore in which an end of an insertion tool is inserted. The inserted end of the insertion tool is made of shape retaining material. The bore and base of the suture anchor are angled with respect to the central axis of the suture anchor and preferably are parallel to each other. During insertion, the suture anchor, mounted on the insertion tool, is reoriented to fit into the hole, thereby bending the shape memory end of the insertion tool. When the suture anchor is within cancellous bone tissue, the shape memory of the insertion tool urges the suture anchor to its original position (in which the suture anchor cannot fit through the bone hole). The suture anchor is thereby firmly anchored in the human bone.

Abstract: A disposable gingival grafting knife is described which comprises a narrow blade sharpened on one side, formed to define a preselected cross-sectional shape of the graft and embedded into the end of a sterilizable handle to define preselected width and thickness for the graft, and a tissue graft receptacle removably attachable to the back of the knife near the blade for catching the harvested graft.

Abstract: A skin graft preparation apparatus is disclosed which includes the use of an extruded skin carrier having guide surfaces thereon which mesh with corresponding guide surfaces on one of the rollers of the apparatus. The device includes structure allowing easy removal, replacement and exchange of the cutter mechanism thereof so that cutters of different ratios may easily be interchanged. Springs engaging respective ends of the cutter mechanism allow slight upward movements thereof to accommodate to skin of varying thickness.

Abstract: A skin graft preparation apparatus is disclosed which includes the use of an extruded skin carrier having guide surfaces thereon which mesh with corresponding guide surfaces on one of the rollers of the apparatus. The device includes structure allowing easy removal, replacement and exchange of the cutter mechanism thereof so that cutters of different ratios may easily be interchanged. Springs engaging respective ends of the cutter mechanism allow slight upward movements thereof to accommodate to skin of varying thickness.

Abstract: A skin cutter instrument for excising ellipsoid-shaped samples of skin from a patient is disclosed. The skin cutter has a hollow tube, a spring and rod combination within the tube, an assembly with multiple pivotable joints, and two skin cutting blades. The assembly carries out a scissoring motion when the rod is pressed down, causing the blades to come together and thereby remove the skin sample. The blades can have either concave cutting surfaces, or straight cutting surfaces that are deformed into an arc shape. Either blade cutting surface configuration allows for excision of the desired ellipsoid-shaped tissue sample from the patient.

Abstract: A comb for connection to the skin meshing unit adjacent the cutter blades to contact the blades to remove the skin from the blades. The comb includes a plurality of slots which accommodates a portion of the cutter blades as the blades rotate through the skin sample passed under the blades. Each longitudinal end of the slot includes angled side wall and is bevelled relative to the bottom wall of the comb to form a V-shaped groove which engages the cutting edge of the blades in close contact to remove the skin from the cutter.

Abstract: A skin graft preparation apparatus is disclosed which includes the use of an extruded skin carrier having guide surfaces thereon which mesh with corresponding guide surfaces on one of the rollers of the apparatus. The device includes structure allowing easy removal, replacement and exchange of the cutter mechanism thereof so that cutters of different ratios may easily be interchanged. Springs engaging respective ends of the cutter mechanism allow slight upward movements thereof to accommodate to skin of varying thickness.

Abstract: A dermatome blade assembly includes a first part defining a cutting edge and a second part adapted for reciprocating attachment with a dermatome. The second part is made from a light weight bearing like plastic to minimize vibration and resistance to movement for the blade assembly during operation.