Apparatus for the closure of wide skin defects by stretching of skin

US5893879A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Medchem Products, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Bernard Hirshowitz · Haifa, IL
• Amnon Levy · Ramat HaSharon, IL
• Alexander R. Gilat, deceased · Nesher, IL
• Eitan Rogel · Haifa, IL
• Jeffrey A. Stein · Woodbridge, US
• Julian Borgia, deceased · Haddonfield, US
• Charles L. Putnam · Montgomery, US
• Paul DiCesare · Norwalk, US
• Daniel Paul Rodak · Milford, US
• Thomas Whitlock · Bound Brook, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 12, 1995
• Grant date: Apr 13, 1999
• Expiry date: Jul 12, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2090/0801
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An apparatus for closing wide skin defects may be used with two long interdermal needles configured for insertion underneath skin close to margins of a skin defect. The skin closing apparatus may include two retaining members (70, 71) configured as a flange connecting two legs (20) and forming a U-shaped profile. Each of the legs may include either a sharp book (23) or a blunt skin insertion element at the end of the leg adapted for percing the skin and engaging one of the long interdermal needles. Alternatively, the retaining members may include topical engagement elements for engaging portions of the interdermal needles which are located above the skin surface. A contracting mechanism such as a screw (82) may connect the retaining members and approximate the interdermal needles, while bringing the skin margins together until final closure of the skin defect results. One of the retaining members may be fixed to the screw shaft while the other may be releasably connected to the screw shaft by an intergral locking mechanism (85). The skin closing apparatus may also include a clutch mechanism (110) configured to disengage the screw from a knob (81) or handle, when a predetermined for…