Patent ID: 8734474

Claim:
A system for providing reduced pressure to a defect at a tissue site of a nerve, the system comprising: a pressure source for supplying the reduced pressure; a nerve conduit having a generally tubular shape and having a luminal wall for surrounding the tissue site to contain fluids within a luminal space between the tissue site and the luminal wall; a manifold fluidly coupled to the pressure source to distribute the reduced pressure to the defect; and a scaffold comprising at least one scaffold guide having a frustum-shaped conical tubular member with a base opening at one end and a vertex opening at the other end wherein the at least one scaffold guide is positioned within the luminal space in fluid communication with the manifold and oriented therein with the vertex opening positioned closer to the manifold than the base opening, and at least one fiber guide extending longitudinally through the luminal space and the vertex opening of the at least one scaffold guide; whereby the at least one scaffold guide facilitates tissue growth at the tissue site by organizing matrix deposition, promoting cell binding, or guiding the migration of cells through the luminal space.