Meek Techniques
D42 and D80 dermatomes
Humeca designed two cordless, battery operated dermatomes, a small one, the D42 and a larger one, the D80.
The small D42 dermatome cuts max 42mm wide and it has a very small head. Such a dermatome not only facilitates cutting of the 42x42mm graft required for Humeca’s MEEK technique; it’s also an excellent tool in paediatric and general plastic surgery, especially for primary excision and harvesting grafts from curved surfaces.
The larger D80 dermatome cuts max 80mm wide and it was developed for more general use.
The Humeca dermatomes were developed to meet the highest standards in skin graft cutting. The main goal is to offer the surgeon mobile and easy manoeuvrable precision skin cutting instruments. For optimum mobility, a battery operated, cordless design was chosen. For enhanced manoeuvrability the head of the dermatome was kept as small as possible. The maximum width of only 64mm (type D42) assures easy cutting, even in problematic zones and for eschar excision.
Through the use of lightweight materials (aluminium), the total weight of the instrument was limited to only 1060 grams, which is quite exceptional for a battery operated dermatome.
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The small size makes the Humeca D42 dermatome very useful in paediatric surgery. The graft width of 42mm is suitable in combination with the MEEK technique. Besides, by means of width-reducing clamps, simply to be placed on the cutting head, the D42 dermatome also cuts grafts of 36 and 30mm widths. The D80 dermatome cuts a width of 80mm, which can be reduced with clamps to 65 and 50mm.
The blades of the dermatomes are precision grinded in a double facet shape for minimum resistance during cutting and uniform graft thickness. The blade cuts at a max speed of 5700 strokes per minute, assuring smooth operation. When opened, the cover of the dermatome is completely turned away, thus enabling quick and safe blade replacement. Graft thickness varies from 0.0-1.2mm and is adjusted by means of an adjusting lever and the readings on a thickness scale. The lever can be fixed at positions that correspond with thickness increments of 0.1mm. Fixation of the lever prevents accidental change of graft thickness during cutting.
The battery and motor cartridges are not sterilized. To prevent accidental sterilization of the cartridges, a special autoclave case was developed that can only contain the dermatome when the cartridges are removed. Before use the non-sterile cartridges are connected to each other and put into the power shaft of the dermatome by means of a sterile clamp and a sterile funnel to avoid contamination.
The battery pack is inserted in a charger support unit for loading. The pack is fully charged in about 2 hours. The pack is provided with a self-restoring short-circuit fuse.
Names for pics:
- The Humeca D42 and D80 cordless, battery operated dermatomes
- Motor and battery cartridge coupled
- D42 dermatome with clamp for 36mm graft width
- Charger with support unit
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