Hair transplantation method and apparatus

• US 20020103500A1
• Filed: 01/30/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Restoration Robotics, Inc. (Venus Concept, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Houston Stereotactic Concepts, Inc.
• Inventors: Gildenberg, Philip L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,585,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/187
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32053 Punch like cutting instruments, e.g. using a cylindrical or oval knife A61B17/326 takes precedence; trepans A61B17/1695; for use on the cornea A61F9/007
• 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 2090/061 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/14 Fixators for body parts, e.g. skull clamps; Constructional details of fixators, e.g. pins
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/10 Hair or skin implants

Abstract

A hair transplantation method and apparatus utilizes a stereotactic robot, which includes a robotic arm, having a hair follicle introducer associated with the robotic arm.

Claims

1. A hair transplantation apparatus for implanting at least one hair follicle into a portion of a patient'"'"'s scalp comprising:

a stereotactic robot, including at least one robotic arm having a first end adapted to be disposed adjacent the patient'"'"'s scalp; and

a hair follicle introducer associated with the first end of the robotic arm, whereby upon the first end of the at least one robotic arm being disposed adjacent the patient'"'"'s scalp, the hair follicle introducer may be moved and operated to implant the at least one hair follicle into a portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp.

2. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hair follicle introducer is a single hair follicle insertion device and includes a needle.

3. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hair follicle introducer is a multiple hair follicle insertion device and includes multiple needles.

4. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim 1, including a stereotactic video system adapted to be associated with the patient'"'"'s scalp and adapted to identify at least one location on the scalp where the at least one hair follicle is to be implanted.

5. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim 4, wherein the stereotactic video system includes a camera and a distance measuring device to measure the distance from the patient'"'"'s scalp to the camera.

6. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plug cutting device is associated with the first end of the robotic arm, the plug cutting device being adapted to remove a plug of the patient'"'"'s scalp, the plug containing at least one hair follicle.

7. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plug cutting device is a single hair follicle insertion device and includes a needle.

8. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plug trimming device is associated with the first end of the at least one robotic arm, the plug trimming device being adapted to trim a portion of a flap, removed from the patient'"'"'s scalp, into a plurality of plugs of the patient'"'"'s scalp, each plug containing at least one hair follicle.

9. The hair transplantation apparatus of claim, including a stereotactic frame, adapted to be releaseably secured to the patient'"'"'s head, for restraining the patient'"'"'s head with respect to the stereotactic robot.

10. A method for transplanting hair by implanting at least one hair follicle into a portion of a patient'"'"'s scalp, the patient'"'"'s scalp having a plurality of existing hair follicles comprising the steps of:

providing a stereotactic robot, the stereotactic robot including at least one robotic arm, the at least one robotic arm having a first end;

associating a hair follicle introducer with the first end of the robotic arm;

loading the hair follicle introducer with at least one existing hair follicle;

disposing the first end of the robotic arm adjacent to patient'"'"'s scalp;

moving the hair follicle introducer toward the patient'"'"'s scalp; and

operating the hair follicle introducer to implant the at least one existing hair follicle into a portion of the patient'"'"'s scalp.

11. The method of claim 10, including the step of utilizing as the hair follicle introducer, a single hair follicle insertion device which includes a needle.

12. The method of claim 10, including the step of utilizing as the hair follicle introducer, multiple hair follicle insertion devices which includes multiple needles.

13. The method of claim 10, prior to implanting the at least one existing hair follicle including the steps of:

providing a stereotactic video system;

associating the stereotactic video system with the patient'"'"'s scalp; and

scanning the patient'"'"'s scalp with the stereotactic video system to determine the locations of the existing hair follicles and the location of the patient'"'"'s scalp in three dimensions.

14. The method of claim 13, including the steps of:

utilizing a stereotactic video system which includes a camera and a distance measuring sensor; and

measuring the distance from the patient'"'"'s scalp to the camera while the patient'"'"'s scalp is being scanned.

15. The method of claim 13, including the step of determining the angular disposition of the existing hair follicles with respect to the patient'"'"'s scalp.

16. The method of claim 10, prior to implanting the at least one existing hair follicle, including the steps of:

providing a plug cutting device;

associating the plug cutting device with the first end of the at least one robotic arm;

disposing the first end of the at least one robotic arm and the plug cutting device adjacent the patient'"'"'s scalp; and

removing a plug of the patient'"'"'s scalp, the plug containing at least one hair follicle.

17. The method of claim 16, including the step of utilizing a single hair follicle insertion device, which includes a needle, as the plug cutting device.

18. The method of claim 10, prior to the implantation of the at least one existing hair follicle, including the steps of:

providing a plug trimming device;

associating the plug trimming device with the first end of the at least one robotic arm;

disposing a flap containing a plurality of existing hair follicles previously removed from the patient'"'"'s scalp, upon a support surface; and

trimming the flap into plurality of the plugs of the patient'"'"'s scalp, each plug containing at least one existing hair follicle.

19. The method of claim 18, including the step of utilizing a single hair follicle insertion device, which includes a needle, as the plug trimming device.

20. The method of claim 10, including the step of releaseably securing a stereotactic frame to the patient'"'"'s head and restraining the patient'"'"'s head with respect to the stereotactic robot.