Slit maker

• US 10,357,278 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanusi Umar
• Original Assignee: Sanusi Umar
• Inventors: Umar, Sanusi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulsh, George J
• Application Number:
  US14/932,984
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/06066 Needles, e.g. needle tip configurations making needles B21G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32093 for skin incisions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00752 Hair removal or transplantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0608 J-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/10 Hair or skin implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery

Abstract

A slit maker is configured to make a slit in skin to receive a hair follicle. The slit maker has a shaft, having a shaft central axis. A helix is mechanically coupled to the shaft. A tip is at an end of the helix. An edge is beveled onto the tip being collinear to an edge line. An edge angle is measured from the edge line to the shaft central axis. The edge angle is at least 10 degrees but no more than 60 degrees or least 130 degrees but no more than 170 degrees.

Claims

1. A slit maker, configured to make a slit in skin to receive a hair follicle;

the slit maker comprising;

a shaft, having a shaft central axis;

a helix, mechanically coupled to the shaft;

a tip at an end of the helix;

an edge, beveled onto a distal end of the tip in a linear segment from a proximal end of the edge to an edge line wherein the edge is collinear with the edge line;

an edge angle measured from the edge line to the shaft central axis;

wherein the edge angle is at least 10 degrees but no more than 60 degrees.

2. The slit maker of claim 1, further comprising a first shaft bend section wherein the first shaft bend section has a first shaft bend entry central axis that is the same as the shaft central axis and a first shaft bend exit central axis that is rotationally offset from the shaft central axis by a shaft first angle;

wherein the shaft first angle is at least 30 degrees but no more than 150 degrees.

3. The slit maker of claim 2, further comprising a shaft straight section joined to the first shaft bend section;

wherein the shaft straight section has a central axis collinear with the first shaft bend exit central axis.

4. The slit maker of claim 3, further comprising a second bend section joined to the shaft straight section;

wherein the second bend section has a second bend section entry central axis collinear to the first shaft bend exit central axis;

wherein the second bend section has a second bend section exit central axis;

wherein a second offset angle is measured from the first shaft bend exit central axis to the second bend section exit central axis;

wherein the second offset angle is at least 90 degrees but no more than 180 degrees.

5. The slit maker of claim 1, wherein the helix further comprises a helical centroid which is part of helical plane;

wherein the shaft central axis passes through the helical plane at a helical intersection angle;

wherein the helical intersection angle is at least 45 degrees but no more than 135 degrees.

6. The slit maker of claim 1, wherein the edge extends from the edge line to a rounded edge at a sharpened angle that, when measured from the helix to the edge line along the rounded edge is at least 5 degrees but no more than 30 degrees.

7. The slit maker of claim 6, further comprising a rear side of the rounded edge which truncates to a point from a truncated tip;

wherein a truncated tip angle is measured from a portion of the helix that extends to a back side;

wherein the truncated tip angle is at least 30 degrees but no more than 90 degrees.

8. A slit maker, configured to make a slit in skin to receive a hair follicle;

the slit maker comprising;

a shaft, having a shaft central axis;

a helix, mechanically coupled to the shaft;

a tip at an end of the helix;

an edge, beveled onto a distal end of the tip in a linear segment from a proximal end of the edge to an edge line;

wherein the edge is collinear with the edge line;

an edge angle measured from the edge line to the shaft central axis;

wherein the edge angle is at least 130 degrees but no more than 170 degrees.

9. The slit maker of claim 8, further comprising a first shaft bend section wherein the first shaft bend section has a first shaft bend entry central axis that is the same as the shaft central axis and a first shaft bend exit central axis that is rotationally offset from the shaft central axis by a shaft first angle;

wherein the shaft first angle is at least 30 degrees but no more than 150 degrees.

10. The slit maker of claim 9, further comprising a shaft straight section joined to the first shaft bend section;

wherein the shaft straight section has a central axis collinear with the first shaft bend exit central axis.

11. The slit maker of claim 10, further comprising a second bend section joined to the shaft straight section;

wherein the second bend section has a second bend section entry central axis collinear to the first shaft bend exit central axis;

wherein the second bend section has a second bend section exit central axis;

wherein a second offset angle is measured from the first shaft bend exit central axis to the second bend section exit central axis;

wherein the second offset angle is at least 90 degrees but no more than 180 degrees.

12. The slit maker of claim 8, wherein the helix further comprises a helical centroid which is part of helical plane;

wherein the shaft central axis passes through the helical plane at a helical intersection angle;

wherein the helical intersection angle is at least 45 degrees but no more than 135 degrees.

13. The slit maker of claim 8, wherein the edge extends from the edge line to a rounded edge at a sharpened angle that, when measured from the helix to the edge line along the rounded edge is at least 5 degrees but no more than 30 degrees.

14. The slit maker of claim 13, further comprising a rear side of the rounded edge which truncates to a point from a truncated tip;

wherein an truncated tip angle is measured from a portion of the helix that extends to the back side;

wherein the truncated tip angle is at least 30 degrees but no more than 90 degrees.

15. A process for making a slit on an eyelid in order to insert a hair follicle, the process comprising:

establishing a reference line that is parallel to and offset from a distal edge of the eyelid;

providing a slit maker further comprising;

a shaft, having a shaft central axis;

a helix, mechanically coupled to the shaft;

a tip at an end of the helix;

an edge, beveled onto a distal end of the tip in a linear segment from a proximal end of the edge to an edge line;

wherein the edge is collinear with the edge line;

inserting the edge at a slit entrance point;

rotating the slit maker to create the slit having a slit central axis.

16. The process of claim 15, further comprising:

creating a slit entrance angle measured from the reference line to the slit central axis wherein the slit entrance angle is at least 0 degrees but no more than 90 degrees.

17. The process of claim 16, wherein the slit entrance angle is about 12.5 degrees.

18. The process of claim 16, wherein the slit entrance angle is about 167.5 degrees.

19. The process of claim 15, further comprising:

creating a slit entrance angle measured from the reference line to the slit central axis wherein the slit entrance angle is at least 90 degrees but no more than 270 degrees.