Patent ID: 8066735

Claim:
A device for closing and promoting scar-free healing of an opening in living skin tissue, comprising: a first elongated connecting strip configured to adhere to the skin on a first side of a skin opening comprising a first inner face configured to permit a knife to pass along the first inner face to trim the skin adhered to the first connecting strip flush with the first inner face; a second elongated connecting strip configured to adhere to the skin on a second side of the skin opening opposing the first side of the skin opening comprising a second inner face configured to permit a knife to pass along the second inner face to trim the skin adhered to the second connecting strip flush with the second inner face; a connecting device for connecting strips together to form a seam with the first inner face held adjacent to the second inner face and the skin trimmed along the first and second inner faces held together in a butt-joined relation to promote scar-free healing of the skin opening; wherein the inner face of the first connecting strip defines a first knife guide configured to support a knife as the knife is moved along the inner face of the first connecting strip with the knife in sliding contact with the first knife guide to trim the skin on a first side of the skin opening along the first connecting strip flush with the inner face of the first connecting strip; and wherein the inner face of the second connecting strip defines a second knife guide configured to support the knife as the knife is moved along the inner face of the second connecting strip with the knife in sliding contact with the second knife guide to trim the skin along the second connecting strip flush with the inner face of the second connecting strip, whereby the device is configured for trimming the skin on opposing sides of the skin opening prior to bringing the trimmed opening together in butt-joined relation to promote scar-free healing.