System and method for selecting follicular units for harvesting
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of selecting an order of harvesting follicular units, comprising:
- using a processor to;
automatically sort a pool of candidate follicular units based on one or more policy; and
automatically select among those automatically sorted a particular follicular unit to be harvested next, wherein the particular follicular unit is selected according to one or more additional policy,wherein the one or more policy, or the one of more additional policy is based on at least one of
1) appearance of follicular units in one or more images of a body surface in a predetermined preceding time interval,
2) location of follicular units within a certain distance to an item comprising one or more of another follicular unit, an edge of the field of view of the image, or a previous harvesting location,
3) follicular unit type,
4) follicular unit distance to a harvesting tool,
5) follicular unit orientation relative to an orientation of the harvesting tool,
6) follicular unit emergence angle from a body surface, wherein those follicular units that have less than a predetermined emergence angle from the body surface are rejected, or
7) a shape of follicular unit.
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Abstract
A system and method for selecting follicular units for hair harvesting using imaging and processing techniques are provided. The method of selecting an order of harvesting follicular units is based on a combination of one or more policies and filters that are generally designed to improve a speed, quality and efficacy of the harvesting process. The method of the present invention may be implemented with various hair harvesting and transplantation systems, including manual, partially automated and fully automated systems.
32 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of selecting an order of harvesting follicular units, comprising:
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using a processor to; automatically sort a pool of candidate follicular units based on one or more policy; and automatically select among those automatically sorted a particular follicular unit to be harvested next, wherein the particular follicular unit is selected according to one or more additional policy, wherein the one or more policy, or the one of more additional policy is based on at least one of
1) appearance of follicular units in one or more images of a body surface in a predetermined preceding time interval,
2) location of follicular units within a certain distance to an item comprising one or more of another follicular unit, an edge of the field of view of the image, or a previous harvesting location,
3) follicular unit type,
4) follicular unit distance to a harvesting tool,
5) follicular unit orientation relative to an orientation of the harvesting tool,
6) follicular unit emergence angle from a body surface, wherein those follicular units that have less than a predetermined emergence angle from the body surface are rejected, or
7) a shape of follicular unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of selecting an order of harvesting follicular units using a robotic hair transplantation system, comprising:
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automatically sorting a pool of candidate follicular units based on one or more policy; automatically selecting among those automatically sorted a particular follicular unit to be harvested next, wherein the particular follicular unit is selected according to one or more additional policy; and wherein automatically selecting comprises scoring follicular units based on a weighted sum of variables associated with two or more of
1) appearance of follicular units in one or more images of a body surface in a predetermined preceding time interval,
2) location of follicular units within a certain distance to an item comprising one or more of another follicular unit, an edge of the field of view of the image, or a previous harvesting location,
3) follicular unit type,
4) follicular unit distance to a harvesting tool,
5) follicular unit orientation relative to an orientation of the harvesting tool,
6) follicular unit emergence angle from a body surface, or
7) a shape of follicular unit. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A system for selecting follicular units for harvesting, comprising:
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an image processor, the image processor comprising instructions for; identifying a pool of candidate follicular units for harvesting in one or more images obtained from an image acquisition device; sorting follicular units in the pool of candidate follicular units based on one or more policies; and selecting a particular follicular unit to be harvested next, wherein the particular follicular unit is selected according to one or more additional policy, wherein the one or more policy, or the one of more additional policy is based on at least one of
1) appearance of follicular units in one or more images of a body surface in a predetermined preceding time interval,
2) location of follicular units within a certain distance to an item comprising one or more of another follicular unit, an edge of the field of view of the image, or a previous harvesting location,
3) follicular unit type,
4) follicular unit distance to a harvesting tool,
5) follicular unit orientation relative to an orientation of the harvesting tool,
6) follicular unit emergence angle from a body surface, wherein those follicular units that have less than a predetermined emergence angle from the body surface are rejected, or
7) a shape of follicular unit. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of selecting an order of harvesting follicular units, comprising:
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using a processor to; identify a pool of candidate follicular units for harvesting in one or more images of a body surface containing follicular units; automatically sort the pool of candidate follicular units based on one or more policy; automatically select among those automatically sorted a particular follicular unit to be harvested next, wherein the particular follicular unit is selected according to one or more additional policy; and wherein the one or more policy or the one or more additional policy comprises keeping only those follicular units that have consistently appeared in the one or more images in a predetermined preceding time interval or rejecting those follicular units that have not consistently appeared in the one or more images in the predetermined preceding time interval.
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Specification