Method and apparatus for transplanting a hair graft

• US 20050187573A1
• Filed: 08/12/2003
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William R. Rassman
• Original Assignee: William R. Rassman
• Inventors: Rassman, William R., Pak, Jae P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,062,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/187
• 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 2017/00969 used for transplantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/10 Hair or skin implants

Abstract

A hair transplant apparatus and a method for placing hair grafts into pre-made wounds capture a hair graft into a hair graft chamber readily aligned for implantation into the human scalp. The hair graft can be placed into the hair graft chamber manually or mechanically (e.g., by vacuum). A hair transplant apparatus includes a housing and a sliding rod within the housing. When the sliding rod is away from an open distal end of the housing in a first position, a hair graft can be placed into the spacing between an end of the rod and the open distal end of the housing. In a second position, the rod is advanced so the end of the rod becomes substantially flush with the distal end of the housing, thereby pushing the hair graft out of the housing and into the pre-made wound. Advantageously, the housing is aligned with the direction of the pre-made wound allowing the hair graft to slide easily into the pre-made wound without damage. Extraneous forces are eliminated by the alignment of the housing to the wound, thus creating a linear path for the hair graft to move without obstruction to finally settle in the scalp wound.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transplanting a hair graft, comprising:

a housing having an open distal end;

a rod inside the housing, an end of the rod being movable to a position along a central axis of the housing where the end of the rod is substantially flush with the open distal end of the housing, so that a loaded hair graft is delivered to a scalp wound; and

an actuator to move the end of the rod substantially flush with the open distal end of the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a hair graft chamber and a piston chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a vacuum apparatus operably coupled to the hair graft chamber for loading a hair graft into a spacing within the hair graft chamber defined by an end of the rod and the open distal end.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for communicating with a side aperture in the hair graft chamber for creating a vacuum within the hair graft chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the means for communicating includes a control element which applies or releases vacuum to the hair graft chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a vacuum apparatus operably coupled to the piston chamber for actuating the end of the rod between a first position and a second position, wherein, with the end of the rod in the first position, the housing provides a spacing between the end of the rod and the open distal end of the housing to receive a hair graft, and wherein, with the end of the rod in the second position, the end of the rod is substantially flush with the open distal end of the housing, so that the hair graft is delivered to a scalp wound.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for communicating with a side aperture in the piston chamber for creating a vacuum within the piston chamber.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for communicating includes a control element which applies or releases vacuum in the piston chamber.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the actuator includes a plunger connected to the rod, the plunger being able to move the end of the rod to the first position from the second position or to the second position from the first position.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the actuator includes a piston inside the piston chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the actuator includes a plunger connected to the piston.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the actuator includes a biasing spring operably coupled to the piston.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the biasing spring is operative to move the end of the rod to the first position from the second position.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the piston includes a body of water or air.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a projection connected to the hair graft chamber, the projection extending in parallel to the central axis and beyond the open distal end of the housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the projection has a diameter less than or equal to an internal diameter of the hair graft chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the projection has a length of about the length of the hair graft received into the spacing.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a projection connected to the end of the rod, the projection extending in parallel to the central axis and beyond the end of the rod.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the housing is not tapered.

20. An apparatus for transplanting a hair graft, comprising:

a housing having an open distal end;

a rod inside the housing, an end of the rod being movable between a first position and a second position along a central axis of the housing,

wherein, with the end of the rod in the first position, the housing provides a spacing between the end of the rod and the open distal end of the housing to receive a hair graft, and

wherein, with the end of the rod in the second position, the end of the rod is substantially flush with the open distal end of the housing, so that the hair graft is delivered to a scalp wound; and

an actuator to move the end of the rod between the first and second positions along the central axis of the housing.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the housing includes a piston chamber and a hair graft chamber.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a vacuum apparatus operably coupled to the hair graft chamber for loading a hair graft into the spacing.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for communicating with a side aperture in the hair graft chamber for creating a vacuum within the hair graft chamber.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a vacuum apparatus operably coupled to the piston chamber for actuating the end of the rod between the first and second positions.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for communicating with a side aperture in the piston chamber for creating a vacuum within the piston chamber.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the actuator includes a plunger connected to the rod, the plunger being able to move the end of the rod to the first position from the second position or to the second position from the first position.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the actuator includes a piston inside the piston chamber.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the actuator includes a plunger connected to the piston.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the actuator includes a biasing spring operably coupled to the piston.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the biasing spring moves the end of the rod to the first position from the second position.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the piston includes a body of water or air.

32. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a projection connected to the hair graft chamber, the projection extending in parallel to the central axis and beyond the open distal end of the housing.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the projection has a diameter less than or equal to an internal diameter of the hair graft chamber.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the projection has a length of about the length of the hair graft received into the spacing.

35. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a projection connected to the end of the rod, the projection extending in parallel to the central axis and beyond the end of the rod.

36. An apparatus for transplanting a hair graft, comprising:

a housing having an open distal end, a first portion of the housing being separable from a second portion of the housing for loading a hair graft;

a rod inside the housing, an end of the rod being movable to a position along the central axis of the housing where the end of the rod is substantially flush with the open distal end of the housing, so that the hair graft is delivered to a scalp wound; and

an actuator to move the end of the rod substantially flush with the open distal end of the housing.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first portion of the housing is coupled to the second portion of the housing by a hinge joint.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first portion of the housing is coupled to the second portion of the housing by a sliding mechanism.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the first and second portions of the housing are connected to free ends of a pair of forceps.

40. A method for transplanting a hair graft, comprising:

providing a housing having an open distal end;

providing a rod inside the housing, an end of the rod being movable between a first position and a second position along a central axis of the housing;

providing a spacing between the end of the rod and the open distal end of the housing;

loading a hair graft into the spacing; and

moving the end of the rod substantially flush with the open distal end of the housing thereby moving the hair graft out of the spacing and into a scalp wound without the open distal end of the housing penetrating the scalp wound.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising moving the hair graft out of the spacing and into a scalp without the end of the rod penetrating the scalp wound.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising providing a projection connected to the housing, the projection extending parallel to the central axis and beyond the open distal end of the housing.

43. The method of claim 40, further comprising aligning the hair graft with a direction of the scalp wound prior to moving the hair graft out of the spacing.

44. The method of claim 40, further comprising limiting the movement of the end of the rod with a spring.

45. An apparatus for loading a hair graft ready to transplant, comprising:

a housing having an open distal end;

an aperture through a side of the housing apart from the open distal end; and

a vacuum operably coupled to the aperture to provide suction at the open distal end thereby drawing a hair graft into the housing through the open distal end.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising a mesh over the aperture.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising a communicating means coupling the vacuum and the aperture.

48. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising a control element operably coupled to the vacuum.

49. An apparatus for loading a hair graft ready to transplant, comprising:

a first portion of a housing;

a second portion of the housing separable from the first portion; and

a coupler for operably coupling the first and second portions, wherein the coupled first and second portions provide an open distal end of the housing through which a loaded hair graft is deployable.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the first and second portions are mechanically coupled halves of the housing.

51. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein the coupler is selected from the group consisting of a hinge joint, a sliding mechanism, and a pair of forceps.