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Custom Templates

What are Custom Templates?

A custom template is an acrylic plastic that has been machined to match the pattern of orifice plate openings. They are placed over the formed blisters

Why are they used ?

A custom template may be used for a variety of research purposes. They may be used to isolate the

individual blisters, to contain the exuded fluids, or to facilitate the introduction of drugs or chemicals to

the blister

Can they be used with the standard orifice plates?

There is a maximum allowable physical area that can be used for machining the cells in the acrylic plate.

If the template cell is the same size as the formed blister, it is likely that the blister will not be properly

isolated. For this reason it is advisable that the Orifice plate opening be smaller, by several millimeters,

than the cell size of the template, This provides an adequate overlap of the blister by the template..

How much difference in sizes is recommended?

Typically, a 5 mm blister (5 mm opening in the Orifice Plate) will require a 10 mm cell in the template.

This allows approximately a 2.5 mm boundary on all sides of the blister

How are the cells constructed in the Custom template?

There are generally 3 designs. The open, closed and the ported cell version.

Open: The cells are completely through the plate thickness. Top and bottom openings are the same size

Closed: The cells do not penetrate the thickness of the acrylic template.

Ported.: The cells go almost through the thickness of the plate but are reduced to a much smaller opening

at the top. These are typically used for injecting drugs or chemicals into the blister site.

How can the tops of the templates be closed?

The open and ported versions may be sealed with waterproof tape, applied to the top surface, to effectively seal the cells.

How are the templates attached to the patient?

We supply the same hook/loop fasteners that are used on the suction chambers. For a long term study it may be advisable to wrap the area with an elastic bandage to assure a tight skin to template seal.