Epidermal graft system

Abstract

The present invention involves a readily produced skin autograft or silograft composite suitable for the supplementation or replacement of injured skin. A sheet of collagen-coated pliable material such as synthetic surgical dressing is used as a foundation for the skin autograft composite. The synthetic surgical dressing, if not precoated with collagen, may be placed in a container and coated with collagen. Epidermal cells, preferably obtained from a prospective recipient of the skin autograft composite being produced, are cultured in an appropriate medium substantially preventing cell differentiation to form epidermal cells on the surface of a collagen-coated container. When substantially confluent, the epidermal cells are enzymatically detached from the culture vessel and layered upon a collagen coated desiccated surgical dressing infused with low calcium culture medium. In actual use, the skin autograft composite is inverted, placed on a recipient, and allowed to remain in position until epidermal cells attach to the recipient and facilitate the formation of a skin-like covering.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.