HARVESTING TOOLS FOR BIOLOGICAL UNITS
First Claim
1. A biological unit removal tool, comprising:
- an elongated body having a lumen sized to receive a biological unit and a distal tip configured to penetrate a body surface,wherein the distal tip of the elongated body has a periphery comprising at least one cutting segment for cutting through a body surface and at least one relief segment that is more dull and substantially less able to cut through tissue than the cutting segment, and wherein the at least one relief segment is offset proximally from the at least one cutting segment.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Tools and methods are provided for removing biological units from a body surface utilizing a removal tool. The tools may incorporate retention members and mechanisms configured to impede movement of the biological unit in the direction of a distal end of the tool and to improve retention of the biological unit in the tool. Some of the retention members are stationary and some are movable within the lumen of the biological unit removal tools. The distal tips of the tools are desirably configured to reduce the chance of transection of a biological unit, such as by including both cutting segments and blunt relief segments. A number of dual concentric tube embodiments permit a division of removal functions. Distal fluid or gas delivery may supplement a vacuum in a luminal space to help extract biological units from surrounding tissue.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A biological unit removal tool, comprising:
-
an elongated body having a lumen sized to receive a biological unit and a distal tip configured to penetrate a body surface, wherein the distal tip of the elongated body has a periphery comprising at least one cutting segment for cutting through a body surface and at least one relief segment that is more dull and substantially less able to cut through tissue than the cutting segment, and wherein the at least one relief segment is offset proximally from the at least one cutting segment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A follicular unit removal tool, comprising:
-
an elongated body having a lumen sized to receive a follicular unit and a distal tip configured to penetrate a body surface, wherein the distal tip of the elongated body has a periphery comprising a plurality of cutting segments for cutting through a body surface and a plurality of relief segments that are more dull and substantially less able to cut through body surface than the cutting segments, the plurality of cutting segments alternate around the periphery of the distal tip with the plurality of the relief segments, and wherein at least one of the plurality of the relief segments is offset proximally from the cutting segments. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A biological unit removal tool, comprising:
-
an elongated body having a lumen sized to receive a biological unit and a distal tip configured to penetrate a body surface, wherein the distal tip of the elongated body has a periphery comprising at least one cutting segment for cutting through a body surface tissue, the at least one cutting segment extending around a majority of the periphery and oriented substantially normal to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body, and a single relief segment that is more dull and substantially less able to cut through tissue than the at least one cutting segment, and wherein the relief segment is connected to and extends away in a proximal direction from the at least one cutting segment. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
Specification