Methods and systems for directing movement of a tool in hair transplantation procedures
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of operating a tool to harvest or implant hair grafts, the method comprising:
- selecting, using at least one processing unit, a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using at least one of an overlap priority method based on analysis of an overlap between at least one existing exclusion zone and at least one proposed exclusion zone, a triangular pattern priority method, a lowest and closest method, or a combination thereof in order to closely pack follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites; and
instructing the tool, using the at least one processing unit or at least one different processing unit, to harvest a follicular unit from the selected harvesting site or to implant a follicular unit into the selected implanting site.
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided useful in various procedures, including hair harvesting and implantation, and further including computer-implemented and/or robotic hair transplantation. Methodologies are provided which enable selection of follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites. In various cases, such selection may be made using a lowest and closest method, overlap-based methods, position-based methods, pattern-based methods, and/or a combination of these methods. In various combinations of the methods, the output selection from one of the methods may be used as an input for one of the other methods.
76 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method of operating a tool to harvest or implant hair grafts, the method comprising:
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selecting, using at least one processing unit, a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using at least one of an overlap priority method based on analysis of an overlap between at least one existing exclusion zone and at least one proposed exclusion zone, a triangular pattern priority method, a lowest and closest method, or a combination thereof in order to closely pack follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites; and instructing the tool, using the at least one processing unit or at least one different processing unit, to harvest a follicular unit from the selected harvesting site or to implant a follicular unit into the selected implanting site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of operating a tool to harvest or implant hair grafts, the method comprising:
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selecting, using at least one processing unit, a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using a position priority method or a combination of the position priority method with at least one of an overlap priority method, a pattern priority method, or a lowest and closest method, in order to closely pack follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites, and instructing the tool, using the at least one processing unit or at least one different processing unit, to harvest a follicular unit from the selected harvesting site or to implant a follicular unit into the selected implanting site, wherein the position priority method comprises; identifying at least one proximity band around at least one previous follicular unit harvesting or implanting site, wherein the at least one proximity band is defined by an area starting from a boundary of an exclusion zone corresponding to the at least one previous follicular unit harvesting or implanting site and extending a predetermined distance beyond the exclusion zone; and selecting the follicular unit harvesting or implanting site that is located within the at least one proximity band. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A method of operating a tool to harvest or implant hair grafts, the method comprising:
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selecting, using at least one processing unit, a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using a pattern priority method or a combination of the pattern priority method with at least one of an overlap priority method, a position priority method, or a lowest and closest method, in order to closely pack follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites, and instructing the tool, using the at least one processing unit or at least one different processing unit, to harvest a follicular unit from the selected harvesting site or to implant a follicular unit into the selected implanting site, wherein the pattern priority method comprises; identifying multiple triangles between previous follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites and one of a plurality of candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites; and selecting the follicular unit harvesting or implanting site based on which of the triangles is closest in shape to an equilateral triangle. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method of operating a tool to harvest or implant hair grafts, the method comprising:
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selecting, using at least one processing unit, a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using an overlap priority method, wherein the overlap priority method is based on analysis of an overlap between at least one existing exclusion zone and at least one proposed exclusion zone, and selected from the group consisting of an overlap priority lowest and closest method, a maximum overlap priority method, a position priority overlap method, an overlap priority position method, a triangular pattern priority overlap method, a triangular pattern priority position method, a triangular pattern priority overlap position method, and a triangular pattern priority position overlap method, and instructing the tool, using the at least one processing unit or at least one different processing unit, to harvest a follicular unit from the selected harvesting site or to implant a follicular unit into the selected implanting site. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for hair transplantation, comprising:
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at least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, and at least one processor that executes the instructions to; select a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using at least one of an overlap priority method based on analysis of an overlap between at least one existing exclusion zone and at least one proposed exclusion zone, a triangular pattern priority method, a lowest and closest method, or a combination thereof in order to closely pack follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites; and instruct a tool to harvest a follicular unit from the selected harvesting site or to implant a follicular unit into the selected implanting site. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method of operating a tool to harvest or implant hair grafts, the method comprising:
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processing at least one image of a body surface, using at least one processing unit, to divide the at least one image into multiple rows; operating a tool to harvest or implant at least one follicular unit in a first row; determining, using the at least one processing unit or at least one different processing unit, whether a number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is within a range of a desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row; moving the tool based on the results of the determining step as follows; a) if the number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is within the range of the desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row, moving the tool to a subsequent row; and b) if the number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is less than a lower threshold value of the range of the desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row, continue harvesting or implanting at least one additional follicular unit in the first row. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for hair transplantation, comprising:
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at least one non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, and at least one processor that executes the instructions to; process at least one image of a body surface to divide the at least one image into multiple rows; operate a tool to harvest or implant at least one follicular unit in a first row; determine whether a number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is within a range of a desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row; moving the tool based on the results of the determining step as follows; a) if the number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is within the range of the desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row, moving the tool to a subsequent row; and b) if the number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is below a lower threshold of the range of the desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row, operate the tool to harvest or implant at least one additional follicular unit in the first row. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method of selecting a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site, the method comprising:
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identifying multiple candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites using a triangular pattern priority method; and selecting, using at least one processing unit, a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site from the multiple candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites using one of an overlap priority method or a position priority method.
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35. A method of selecting a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using a triangular pattern priority overlap position method, the method comprising:
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identifying multiple candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites using a triangular pattern priority method; selecting from the multiple candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites, using at least one processing unit, a group of the candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites using an overlap priority method; and picking from the group using a position priority method.
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36. A method of selecting a follicular unit harvesting or implanting site using a triangular pattern priority position overlap method, the method comprising:
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identifying multiple candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites using a triangular pattern priority method; selecting from the multiple candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites, using at least one processing unit, a group of the candidate follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites using a position priority method; and picking from the group using an overlap priority method.
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37. A method of operating a tool to harvest or implant hair grafts, the method comprising:
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processing at least one image of a body surface, using at least one processing unit, to divide the image into multiple rows; operating a tool to harvest or implant at least one follicular unit in a first row; determining, using the at least one processing unit or at least one different processing unit, whether a number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is within a range of a desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row; moving the tool based on the results of the determining step as follows; a) if the number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is within the range of the desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row, moving the tool to a subsequent row; and b) if the number of harvested or implanted follicular units in the first row is less than a lower threshold value of the range of the desired number of harvested or implanted follicular units for the first row, continue harvesting or implanting at least one additional follicular unit in the first row, wherein the at least one additional follicular unit is selected by a method comprising combining an overlap-based and a position-based method, and assigning a weight to each of the above methods based on a distance from a candidate site to a previous follicular unit harvesting or implanting site.
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Specification