Graft harvesting hair transplants with electrosurgery

• US 5,490,850 A
• Filed: 11/21/1994
• Issued: 02/13/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ellman International, Inc. (Hologic Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ALAN G. ELLMAN, Jon C. Garito
• Inventors: Garito, Jon C., Ellman, Alan G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US08/342,618
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 606/44, 606/45, 606/48-50, 623/15, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor

Abstract

A multiple-wire electrode for use with an electrosurgical handpiece in an electrosurgical medical, dental, or veterinarian procedure, which comprises an electrically-conductive shaft having one end sized to fit on an electrosurgical handpiece and plural spaced electrically-conductive wires electrically connected to the opposite end of the shaft. The ends of the wires are electrically active, whereby when the wire ends are applied to tissue of a patient and the handpiece energized, electrical currents will flow simultaneously from the wire ends to the tissue allowing simultaneous cutting by electrical currents of parallel incisions when the handpiece is drawn across the tissue. Means can be provided connected to the shaft for varying the spacing between the wire ends. The electrode of the invention is of particular use in connection with the harvesting of hair follicles in a hair transplant procedure.

Claims

1. In a method for harvesting hair grafts from strips of scalp wherein parallel incisions are made in the scalp, the improvement comprising making the incisions with an electrosurgical instrument comprising an electrode with spaced thin active wire ends by drawing the electrode wire ends across the scalp while energizing the electrosurgical instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising making the parallel incisions at the same time.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising making the incisions spaced apart in the range of 2-10 mm.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising making the incisions with wire ends having diameters in the range of 0.004-0.12 inches.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein following making of the incisions, removing the strip of scalp tissue lying between the incisions.