Smart Skins

.

003 | Research

     +   Artificial Skin  

What is artificical skin?

It is a thin layer that mimics the function and text of real skin to be applied to the external body.
It must adhere to these major functions to act as an artificial skin

• It must properly close the wound to...
• adhere to the substrate
• durable and elastic
• allow evaporative water loss like the stratum does
• have a microbial barrier
• promote hemostasis
• easy to use
• must be ready for immediate use
• must act like a "regeneration-like" sustance

Doctors Burke & Yannas then focused on the dermal equivalent to support growth of the epidermal cells.They first used a polysiloxane (silicone rubber) to patch the wounded area.
 Through experiments, they developed a system that involved inducing the skin and temporary dermal with glutaraldehyde-cross-linked collagen and glycosaminoglycan to create a matrix pattern that later developed into a "skin" that strong enough.
So, their skin consisted of:

• collagen-chondroitin-6-sulfate fibers
• shark cartilage (chondroitin-6-sulfate)
• engineered into an open matrix
• all in a thick silicone sheet.

Product known at INTEGRA.

Integra was the first known product approved to be used for burned victims. The skin would allow for early skin repair with minimal to no scarring. The skin would mesh with the split-thickness skin graft and it would allow the fibroblasts to meter with the skin layer to form  a protective shield, preventing infection.

Integra does have some major cons

1. It is vulnerable to infection
• you have to constantly keep it cleaned
2. It is made of silicone
• if you want to replace the "skin" with a donor's, then you must go through a transplant with epidermal autograft.
• the donor must be on site.
3. The "skin" is strong and elastic, it does not do well on the difficult parts of the body
• the back
• the axilla
• the groin

 

001 |  First application of Integra

• The bilaminate "skin" is applied to the damaged dermal layer.
• The collagen/glycosaminoglycan later will be the dermal template
• Neodermis will start to form
• The silicone provides a barrier to prevent heat and water loss 
• It also prevents bacteria from entering.

 

 

 001 |  7 days later

• At this point, the silicon continues to act as a barrier, allowing the dermal to regenerate. 
• The collagen/glycosaminoglycan sponge will promote fibroblasts to merge, allowing protein and endogenous to take place.
• Soon, blood vessels will start to form.

 

001 |  14+ days later

• At this stage, the neodermis formation is complete, a epidermal layer can be applied over this skin through autograft.
• The silicone will be removed and a mesh ultrathim autograft is applied.
• the epidermal cells attach to the neodermis.
• Soon the patient's cells will merge with the new epidermal.

Previous