16ASP01
Singapore Polytechnic
Chemical & Life Sciences
ASP
Optimisation of delivery methods for Cultured Epithelial Autograft (CEA)
Dr Tan Tuan Lin
67721896
tan_tuan_lin@sp.edu.sg
Tan Tuan Lin
67721896
tan_tuan_lin@sp.edu.sg
Main Problem: Although current methods of Cultured Epithelial Autograft (CEA) have shown to be efficient and is commonly used to treat severe burns by restoring burnt tissues in patients, there still exists many problems and issues encountered when delivering the lab-grown skin tissue to the patient’s wound. current methods of delivery still have a high risk of failure and are inconvenient and difficult when transporting the cultured skin cells from the growth medium in the petri dish to the patient’s wound. Current Method of Delivery: The method in which skin cells of the patients are grown and cultured in the laboratory currently makes transporting the skin culture to the patient’s wound inconvenient with risks of failure. Medical personnel have to first cut open the base of the petri dish using a scalpel to break open the petri dish, in order remove the skin and growth medium, and carefully place it on the patient’s wound. This method can cause many complications, such as contamination and even dropping the soft, delicate, and slippery newly grown skin cells. Furthermore, such methods of delivery also can cause a lot of wastage as cut petri dish can no longer be rescued. This can be environmentally-degrading and costly. Past groups have worked on delivery methods by 3D printing of attachments to petri dishes that eliminate the danger of handling CEA during application to the patients. Engineering Goals: To improvise on existing design for a novel, sterile and efficient method for CEA delivery onto burnt patients, through redesigning the current skin cell growth culture medium (petri dish or environment in which the skin cells are grown), and hence reduce chances of failure in CEA delivery. To increase the convenience and simplify the delivery procedure of CEA through engineering an improved medical tool.
Brainstorming Literature Search Design and Prototyping Troubleshooting Testing of Prototypes
1. Literature review and Background Research a.Research on the background of Cultured Epithelial Autograft procedures and current methods of delivery. b.Research on how skin cells are grown and conditions for which must be met in order for the cells to grow safely, as well as in transporting the cells. 2. Brainstorming: a. Come up with ideas and concepts to be used in potential prototypes for our product, improving on existing ideas. 3. Assessing of ideas based on prior knowledge a. Rigorously test ideas and provide feedback and evaluation on the potential pros and cons of each design, and how to improve our designs to overcome any potential flaws 4. Design and Prototyping a.Turn ideas into reality and test each design to evaluate and improve further 5. Test the prototype on increasingly complex media a.First the product is tested using cheap jelly similar to the growth medium, moving on to agarose, then finally the actual gel media used in skin cell growth.
Yes
Not applicable
Medicine and Health
3D printing Cultured Epithelial Autograft (CEA) Aseptic Techniques
Thursday and Friday
No, there is no need to for this project.