The objective of this project was to design a suction blister device with a heating system to test and evaluate the biomechanical adherence properties of the dermal-epidermal interface of skin. Blisters created utilizing this device represent a near perfect separation of the epidermis from the dermis. The device was designed to create a consistent negative pressure on the surface of skin and maintain a surface temperature of 37+/-1 ° C by the heating element. After validating the system to determine that it would maintain the operating parameters, it was tested by creating suction blisters on freshly harvested porcine skin. Our initial studies showed that the suction blister induction times were comparable to previous investigations conducted on human skin under the same conditions. Ultimately, this device can be used to quantify and compare dermal-epidermal adherence of skin from different regions of the body, between individuals, and between normal and bioengineered skin through the comparison of suction blister induction times.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Cornwell, Kevin
• Downing, Brett Randall

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 02D336M

Advisor

• Bonassar, Lawrence J.
• Pins, George D
• Roth, Timothy
• Dunn, Raymond

Year

• 2001

Date created

• 2001-01-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biomedical Engineering
• Undecided

Rights statement

• In Copyright