Systems and methods for magnet-induced assembly tissue grafts
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsRichard Rox Anderson, Joshua Tam, Christiane Fuchs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for assembling a plurality of tissue grafts are provided. A method includes applying a magnetic coating over a surface of a donor site and harvesting the plurality of micro tissue grafts from the donor site, so that an upper surface of each of the plurality of micro tissue grafts contains the coating. The method also includes arranging a magnet over the magnetic coating to induce the plurality of micro tissue grafts to organize in a desired orientation, forming a tissue construct containing the plurality of micro tissue grafts arranged in the desired orientation, and applying the tissue construct to a recipient site.
Claims23
A method for assembling a plurality of micro tissue grafts, the method comprising:
- applying a magnetic coating over a surface of a donor site;
- harvesting the plurality of micro tissue grafts from the donor site, using one or more harvesting tools configured to extract small tissue columns, so that an upper surface of each of the plurality of micro tissue grafts contains the coating;
- arranging a magnet over the magnetic coating to induce the plurality of micro tissue grafts to organize in a desired orientation;
- placing the plurality of micro tissue grafts in a supportive material that is in liquid form and inducing the plurality of micro tissue grafts to organize in the desired orientation within the supportive material;
- forming a tissue construct containing the plurality of micro tissue grafts arranged in the desired orientation;
- and
- applying the tissue construct to a recipient site.
A method for assembling a plurality of micro tissue grafts, the method comprising:
- applying a magnetic coating over a surface of a donor site;
- harvesting the plurality of micro tissue grafts from the donor site, using one or more harvesting tools configured to extract small tissue columns, so that an upper surface of each of the plurality of micro tissue grafts contains the coating;
- arranging a magnet over the magnetic coating to induce the plurality of micro tissue grafts to organize in a desired orientation;
- forming a solid tissue construct containing the plurality of micro tissue grafts arranged in the desired orientation by one of:
- inducing a supportive material to solidify around the plurality of micro tissue grafts, allowing the plurality of micro tissue grafts to dry together, or using the magnet to hold the plurality of micro tissue grafts together as a solid construct;
- applying the tissue construct to a recipient site;
- and
- removing the magnetic coating from the plurality of micro tissue grafts after forming the tissue construct.
A method for assembling a plurality of micro tissue grafts using magnetic assistance, the method comprising:
- replacing needles of a needle harvesting array with coating applicators;
- applying a magnetic coating to harvesting areas of a donor site using the coating applicators;
- replacing the coating applicators within the needle harvesting array with the needles;
- harvesting the plurality of micro tissue grafts from each of the harvesting areas, so that an upper surface of each of the plurality of micro tissue grafts contains the coating;
- arranging a magnet over the magnetic coating to induce the plurality of micro tissue grafts to organize in a desired orientation;
- forming a tissue construct containing the plurality of micro tissue grafts arranged in the desired orientation;
- and
- applying the tissue construct to a recipient site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.