Skin graft product

Abstract

An apparatus and method for the production of substitute skin that advantageously reduces the amount of donor dermal cells needed from non-wound areas of a patient having a wound to be auto-grafted is reduced by using all of the harvested skin cells. A 3D printer is used to construct a wound graft product from the harvested skin cells without wasting any of the harvested skin cells. In a case of an irregularly shaped wound, wastage of harvested skin associated with trimming is avoided.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A skin graft product constructed from skin cells of a patient having a wound, wherein an amount of patient skin cells is less than the patient skin cells that would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound if only the patient skin cells were used. 
     
     
         38 . The skin graft product of  claim 37 , consisting of:
 an amount of patient skin cells which is less than the patient skin cells that would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound by conventional skin grafting if only the patient skin cells were used;   an amount of material other than patient skin cells.   
     
     
         39 . The skin graft product of  claim 37 , wherein the amount of patient skin cells is selected from the group consisting of:
 about ⅔ what would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound if only the patient skin cells were used;   less than ⅔ what would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound if only the patient skin cells were used;   less than ½ what would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound if only the patient skin cells were used;   less than ⅓ what would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound if only the patient skin cells were used;   less than ¼ what would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound if only the patient skin cells were used; and   less than ⅕ what would be estimated to be needed to treat the wound if only the patient skin cells were used.   
     
     
         40 . The skin graft product of  claim 38 , wherein the amount of material other than patient skin cells comprises one or more of bovine collagen, growth factors, amniotic membrane and cytokines. 
     
     
         41 - 53 . (canceled)