BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a hair transplant harvesting device in accordance with the principles of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a hand-held portion of the system of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged schematic cross sectional and perspective views of a subassembly of the hand-held portion shown in FIG. 2;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are representations of video images produced by the apparatus of FIGS. 1-4; and
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of the method practiced by the system of FIGS. 1-7, and
FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a robotic subassembly for excising follicular units from a donor area;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THIS INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 10 in accordance with this invention. The system includes an instrument 11 having a proximal end and a distal end 12 and 13 respectively. A tubular shaped subassembly 15 extends from the proximal end of the instrument.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged schematic side view of instrument 11. Subassembly 15 can be seen to have a general shape similar to that of an instrument commonly used to examine the human ear. The subassembly includes a hollow needle or punch 17 and a conical section 18 which enlarges in diameter as it extends upwards and to the left as viewed in the figure.
The end of section 18 with the relatively large diameter is coupled to the cylindrical portion of the subassembly by a rotating member or lip 20. Rotating member 20 is operated by cutting arm 21 and serves to extend (or advance) hollow needle 17 when rotated.
Instrument 11 includes a solid state camera such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera represented by dashed rectangular line 23 shown in FIG. 2. Subassembly 15 also includes a lens 24. The camera and lens are components of an imaging system positioned to capture an image via the hollow needle and to display that image on monitor 25 of FIG. 1. Power for the CCD camera is provided via cable 28 of FIGS. 1 and 2 from power source 29 of FIG. 1.
Illumination of the field of view for the camera is supplied via optical fibers 30 extending from subassembly 15 to light source 33 of FIG. 1.
In one embodiment of the invention, a suction tube 34 also is provided. Tube 34 extends between subassembly 15 and an air pump 35 shown in FIG. 1. Suction may be provided to assist in extracting a follicular unit when arm 21 is rotated by a user to advance hollow needle 17 into the skin of a patient.
FIG. 3 shows an enlarged cross section of subassembly 15 showing the relative position of lens 24, optical fibers (30), suction tube 34, hollow needle 17, conical section 18, and rotating member 20 with cutting arm 21. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of subassembly 15 showing hollow needle 17, conical section 18, rotating member 20 with cutting arm 21. It is clear from the views of FIGS. 3 and 4 that a user observes a follicular unit 40 as shown in FIG. 4 by moving instrument 11 (FIG. 1) until a selected follicular unit is in the center of the field of view 41. The user observes the field of view in monitor 25 of FIG. 1. The diameter of hollow needle 17 is chosen sufficiently wide to cut past beyond the critical anatomical structures of a follicular unit thus avoiding any damage to the unit.
The instrument as shown in FIG. 3 also is adapted to include a reservoir of, for example, liquid nitrogen or ethylene dioxide for freezing the follicular unit (40) in view. Tube 51 is shown in FIG. 3 to indicate a supply of the freezing material if the material is of a type to require maintenance under pressure and/or is not sufficiently transparent to avoid obstructing the viewing of the follicular unit (40).
It has also been found under certain conditions or circumstances to kill or neutralize the hair shaft of the follicular unit to be excised. The follicular unit is killed or neutralized conveniently by inserting a needle into the follicular unit and delivering an electric current for a predetermined period of time to in essence neutralize or kill the growth center of the follicular unit. FIG. 4 shows a needle 54 connected via conductor 55 for this purpose. The conductor is connected to a power source not shown. The electrical current can be initiated by the movement of arm 21 under the control of a controller represented by block 72 shown in FIG. 1.
Alternatively, needle 54 could be adapted to supply ultrasound energy to accomplish the same goal of neutralizing or killing the follicular unit.
Once the follicular unit is frozen, excising of the unit may proceed.
FIGS. 5 and 6 show the image of a representative follicular unit when instrument 11 is aligned with the unit and when it is not respectively. Both FIGS. 5 and 6 represent the back of a patient's head 60 with hair follicles extending downwards and to the left as viewed. In FIG. 5 instrument 11 is seen to align its axis 62 and the hair follicles are not aligned. The resulting images in monitor 25 are dots 70 and lines 71 respectively.
The various components of the system of FIG. 1 may be any components capable of operating as described. The operation of the component is controlled by a controller represented by block 72 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of the method practiced by the system of FIG. 1. The system is used with a patient having a shaved head so that the donor area of the head exhibits erect hair follicles. A user positions the hollow needle over the skin of a patient after turning on the monitor, the light source and the camera. The procedure starts by turning on the system as represented by block 80 of FIG. 7 and the image of the field of view is observed on the monitor (25) as indicated by block 81.
The user moves the instrument (11) until the field of view (illustratively through the needle) is in alignment with a follicular unit producing an image as shown in FIG. 5. This step is represented by block 82.
The instrument is now properly positioned with the top of the needle juxtaposed against the skin of a patient with a selected follicular unit in the field of view and with the axis of the needle aligned with the axis of the follicular unit. The user now administers the freezing material and then applies a current to kill the shaft of the follicular unit in view as shown by blocks 83 and 84. The user now moves arm 21 to advance the needle while rotating the cutting edge of the needle to excise the unit. The rotation of the needle and the removal of the unit are represented by blocks 85 and 86.
The removal of the excised unit is expedited by the suction tube 34 and air pump 35 of FIG. 1. But any suitable method of removal is adequate. Tweezers may be used, for example.
The spacing between adjacent follicular units varies randomly but typically is greater than one millimeter. The critical anatomical structure of a unit is only a fraction of that distance thus dictating a minimum diameter of 0.50 millimeters for the hollow needle. It is thus, convenient to secure an x/y/z gantry (not shown) to the head of a patient and to secure the “hand held” instrument so that it can be controlled by adjusting micromanipulators.
FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of a robotic subassembly for extracting follicular untis of hair from a donor area in the manner described in connection with FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. The robotic subassembly comprises of a positioning table 90 to which the instrument 11 of FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 is connected by means of Post 91. Positioning table 90 is operative to move post 91 in a X,Y,Z and rotational planes. Post 91 is operative to actuate arm 92 along and or around its axis. Instrument 11 is connected to Post 91 by arms 92 and 94 at pivot points 95, 96, and 97 which are set to adjust Punch 17 with a selected donor area.
The Operation is controlled by a controller 98 responsive to move punch 17 to a position shown in FIG. 5, to initiate a localized freezing of the follicular unit view and to advance the punch along its axis to a depth to excise or extract the follicular unit and to manipulate cutting arm 21 to facilitate the removal of the follicular unit.
The robotic subassembly of FIG. 8 may be adapted for administering a freezing or cooling step and/or a growth center destruction step as described in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4.
It is to be understood that the description herein is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and that various changes and modifications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit and scope of the invention as encompassed by the following claims: For example, any implementation for freezing a follicular unit in view, such as freezing air, a spray, a cold tip—etc may be used. Further, although the specification disclosed the use of a camera, any means for capturing the image may be used such as a digital reader.
Patent Application
20080033455
