In 2018, a team of Canadian researchers presented a concept of a portable device capable of printing patches of artificial skin on a wound, a wound, for burn victims. Axel Günther, one of the researchers who worked on this project, explains that they were inspired by the tape dispensers. These scientists simply replaced the tape with strips of skin.
This week, the latest version of the concept was presented, and the least we can do is that it looks pretty promising. This device could very soon be used in real situations. Currently, the most common method for burns is skin grafting. To do this, it is necessary to take the damaged piece of skin and replace it with another from an unaffected part of the body. Only, some cases demonstrate that transplants are not viable.
How could this concept be useful?
Axel Günther also explains that some “In the event that a patient suffers from extensive skin-wide burns – which destroys both the upper and lower layers of the skin – there is not always enough healthy skin left to use it.” In these specific cases, this concept of artificial skin applicator could be a boon. Indeed, thanks to this solution, which no longer requires a transplant, it will be enough to apply strips of artificial skin to the burned areas.
Scientists have so far tested this system in pigs, and have been very pleased with the results. Marc Jeschke, another scientist explains: “We found that the device succeeded in depositing the sheets of skin on the wounds in a uniform, safe and reliable manner, and that the sheets remained in place with a minimum of movement”. He adds that the wounds covered by this artificial skin have healed particularly well.
