Microfabricated scaffold for artificial skin

This technology is an anatomically accurate substitute for damaged skin created using casting of natural components through microfabrication.

Unmet Need: Artificial skin with precise pore structures and anatomically accurate constructs

Existing skin substitutes use conventional bulk processing methods to fabricate collagen-based scaffolds, which results in products lacking the anatomical properties of natural skin. A more natural substitute with precise pore structure and the capability for vascularization would promote rapid regrowth, enhancing wound healing and the treatment of burns and other skin abnormalities.

The Technology: An anatomically accurate, multicomponent skin substitute for damaged skin

This technology uses a microfluidic device, which acts as a microreactor for the construction of multiple cellular and extracellular components to create a skin substitute. As opposed to existing technologies, the tissue scaffold generated by this microfabrication approach possesses the natural components of skin tissue including well-defined pores of known sizes. Moreover, the skin generated by this technology can incorporate natural components such as blood vessels, adnexal structures, and melanocytes, which will further accelerate regrowth of damaged tissue after grafting.

This technology has been used to create complex collagen scaffolds for skin grafts in vitro.

Applications:

• Skin grafts for restoring damaged or scarred skin
• Anatomically accurate skin model for drug and cosmetics development
• Biocompatible scaffolds for tissue engineering

Advantages:

• Capable of generating skin grafts with multiple anatomically accurate layers and pore structure
• May shorten the time for tissue regeneration upon grafting
• Allows for complete vascularization of the skin graft
• Utilizes a microfluidic bioreactor enabling precise and scalable synthesis of artificial skin
• Cost-effective
• Compatible with several extracellular matrix materials

Lead Inventor:

Samuel Sia, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Status

Related Publications:

• Chin CD, Khanna K, Sia SK. “A microfabricated porous collagen-based scaffold as prototype for skin substitutes” Biomed Microdevices. 2008 Jun; 10(3): 459-467.

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR 2297

• Licensing Contact: Beth Kauderer