EP4615347A1

EP4615347A1 - Systems and methods for hair transplantation with split needle device

Info

Publication number: EP4615347A1
Application number: EP23889647.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: William A. Farinelli; Sandeep KORUPOLU; Walfre Franco; Lynn DRAKE; Richard Rox Anderson
Original assignee: General Hospital Corp
Current assignee: General Hospital Corp
Priority date: 2022-11-09
Filing date: 2023-11-08
Publication date: 2025-09-17
Also published as: WO2024102815A1

Abstract

Systems and methods of hair transplantation include and/or implement a device comprising a casing; an implantation unit received in the casing, the implantation unit including an implanting needle at a distal end thereof; an extraction unit received in the implantation unit, the extraction unit including an extracting needle at a distal end thereof and a first actuator portion at a proximal end thereof; and an actuation unit received in the casing and over the extraction unit, the actuation unit including a second actuator portion in cooperation with the first actuation unit and configured to selectively move the hair transplant system between a first position in which the extracting needle is at substantially the same longitudinal position as the implanting needle, and a second position in which the extracting needle is longitudinally displaced from the implanting needle in a proximal direction.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HAIR TRANSPLANTATION WITH SPLIT

NEEDLE DEVICE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/383,035, filed on November 9, 2022, entitled ‘'Split needle Device for Hair Transplantation,” the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of hair transplantation. More specifically, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for using a split needle device for both hair extraction and hair implantation.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Hair loss is a physical and psychological issue that affects 80 million people in the United States alone. As a result, the commercial market for addressing hair loss is a multibillion dollar industry, from drug therapies to hair transplantation.

[0004] Hair transplantation is a procedure that involves implanting multiple hair follicles or follicular units, from a donor site of a donor, into a recipient site of a patient. Generally, this procedure is done by first identifying a hair follicle in the donor site, coring around the hair follicle, and removing the hair follicle from the donor site. Then, a small opening is created in the recipient site. After the small opening has been created the hair follicle is implanted within the opening, and the opening is allowed to heal around the implanted hair follicle.

[0005] More specifically, there are two types of hair transplantation procedures: Follicular Unit Transplantation (“FUT”), and Follicular Unit Extraction (“FUE”). In FUT, a long strip of skin is cut from the donor site (e.g., usually back of the head) and from the cut skin, the hair follicles are separated. For implanting, small holes are made at the recipient site and the separated hair follicles are inserted into them one at a time. This procedure requires highly skilled surgeons and technicians and leaves a long scar where the skin was cut. In FUE, each hair follicle is identified, and small holes are made using coring punches around the hair follicle and then removing the hair follicle from the donor site one at a time. For implanting, small holes are made at the recipient site and each hair follicle is inserted into the holes. The holes are then allowed to heal around the implanted hair follicle.

[0006] In comparative examples, this procedure is performed using differing tools for extraction of the hair follicle, creation of the small opening, and implantation of the hair follicle. Further, the procedure is typically done by extracting a single follicle at a time, temporarily placing each single follicle at a holding location (e.g., a petri dish) one by one, and then implanting a single hair follicle at a time. A single hair transplant session may implant anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 hair follicles. With each hair follicle taking twenty seconds or longer to transplant, each session is very labor intensive and can last as long as eight to twelve hours. As such, comparative processes for hair transplantation is tedious, time-consuming, and costly. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have systems and methods to reduce the hair transplantation surgery (FUE) time and increase hair transplantation efficiency.

SUMMARY

[0007] The present disclosure overcomes these and other drawbacks by providing systems and methods for hair transplantation using a single device which includes both extraction and implantation features via a split-needle configuration. In some examples, the systems and methods described herein eliminate intermediate stages in the hair transplantation process (e g., manipulating hair follicles such as by placing them in the holding location prior to implant). Accordingly, the present disclosure provides for systems and methods of hair transplantation which may proceed much more quickly and efficiently than comparative methods. The systems and methods of the present disclosure are provided for improved hair transplant procedures that increase extraction speed, opening speed, and implantation speed, thereby increasing efficacy and reducing cost. Moreover, by reducing the time between extraction and implantation, the systems and methods described herein reduce stress on the hair follicles, which may lead to better transplantation outcomes.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a hair transplant system is provided. The system comprises a casing; an implantation unit received in the casing, the implantation unit including an implanting needle at a distal end thereof; an extraction unit received in the implantation unit, the extraction unit including an extracting needle at a distal end thereof and a first actuator portion at a proximal end thereof; and an actuation unit received in the casing and over the extraction unit, the actuation unit including a second actuator portion in cooperation with the first actuation unit and configured to selectively move the hair transplant system between a first position in which the extracting needle is at substantially the same longitudinal position as the implanting needle, and a second position in which the extracting needle is longitudinally displaced from the implanting needle in a proximal direction.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a hair transplant method is provided. The method comprises providing a hair transplant system, the hair transplant system comprising a casing; an implantation unit received in the casing, the implantation unit including an implanting needle at a distal end thereof; an extraction unit received in the implantation unit, the extraction unit including an extracting needle at a distal end thereof; and a foot plate, wherein the hair transplant system is movable between a first position in which the extracting needle is at substantially the same longitudinal position as the implanting needle, and a second position in which the extracting needle is longitudinally displaced from the implanting needle in a proximal direction, and wherein in the first position, the extracting needle and the implanting needle cooperate to form a split needle; in a state of the hair transplant system being in the first position, extracting a hair follicle from a donor site with the split needle; moving the hair transplant system from the first position to the second position; locking the foot plate at a location corresponding to the second position; in a state of the hair transplant system being in the second position, implanting the hair follicle at a recipient site with the implanting needle; in a state of the extracting needle being locked at the location corresponding to the second position, retracting the implanting needle.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure a method of manufacturing a hair transplant system is provided. The method comprises providing a casing; inserting an implantation unit in the casing, the implantation unit including an implanting needle at a distal end thereof; inserting an extraction unit in the implantation unit, the extraction unit including an extracting needle at a distal end thereof and a first actuator portion at a proximal end thereof; and inserting an actuation unit in the casing and over the extraction unit, the actuation unit including a second actuator portion in cooperation with the first actuation unit and configured to selectively move the hair transplant system between a first position in which the extracting needle is at substantially the same longitudinal position as the implanting needle, and a second position in which the extracting needle is longitudinally displaced from the implanting needle in a proximal direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Some embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with reference to the accompanying figures. The description, together with the figures, makes apparent to a person having ordinary' skill in the art how some embodiments of the disclosure may be practiced. The figures are for the purpose of illustrative discussion and no attempt is made to show structural details of an example in more detail than is necessary⁷ for a fundamental understanding of the teachings of the disclosures. In the drawings:

[0012] FIG. 1 A illustrates a perspective view of an example of a hair transplant device in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. IB illustrates an exploded view of the hair transplant device of FIG. 1A.

[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the extraction unit of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the implantation unit of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the actuation unit of FIGS.

IA-IB.

[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the foot plate of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0018] FIG. 6A illustrates a perspective view of an example position configuration of the hair transplant device of FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0019] FIG. 6B illustrates perspective view of another example position configuration of the hair transplant device of FIGS. 1 A-1B.

[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a hair transplant method in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 8 illustrates an example state of a hair transplant device during operations of FIG. 7.

[0022] FIG. 9 illustrates an example state of a hair transplant device during operations of FIG. 7.

[0023] FIG. 10 illustrates an example state of a hair transplant device during operations of FIG. 7.

[0024] FIG. 11 illustrates an example state of a hair transplant device during operations of FIG. 7. [0025] FIG. 12 illustrates an example a hair transplant system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of a method of manufacturing a hair transplant device in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which specific examples are shown by way of illustration. These examples are described in sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to practice the disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating examples of embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation. From this disclosure, various substitutions, modifications, additions rearrangements, or combinations thereof within the scope of the disclosure may be made and will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0028] Unless otherwise indicated, the various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn to scale. The illustrations presented herein are not necessarily intended to be actual views of any particular method, device, or system, but are merely idealized representations that are employed to describe various embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features as illustrated may be arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of the drawings may be simplified for clarity . Thus, the drawings may not depict all of the components of a given apparatus (e.g.. device) or method. In addition, like reference numerals may be used to denote like features throughout the specification and figures.

[0029] It should be understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as “first,’⁷ “second,” and so forth does not limit the quantity or order of those elements, unless such limitation is explicitly stated. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient method of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements may be employed there or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner. Also, unless stated otherwise a set of elements may comprise one or more elements.

[0030] As used herein, unless otherwise limited or defined, “or” indicates a nonexclusive list of components or operations that can be present in any variety of combinations, rather than an exclusive list of components that can be present only as alternatives to each other. For example, a list of “A, B, or C” indicates options of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; and A, B. and C. Correspondingly, the term “or” as used herein is intended to indicate exclusive alternatives only when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as ‘'only one of,” or “exactly one of.” For example, a list of “only one of A, B, or C” indicates options of: A, but not B and C; B, but not A and C; and C, but not A and B. In contrast, a list preceded by “one or more” (and variations thereon) and including “or” to separate listed elements indicates options of one or more of any or all of the listed elements. For example, the phrases “one or more of A, B, or C” and “at least one of A, B, or C” indicate options of: one or more A; one or more B; one or more C; one or more A and one or more B; one or more B and one or more C; one or more A and one or more C; and one or more A, one or more B, and one or more C. Similarly, a list preceded by “a plurality of’ (and variations thereon) and including “or” to separate listed elements indicates options of one or more of each of multiple of the listed elements. For example, the phrases “a plurality of A, B, or C” and “two or more of A, B, or C” indicate options of: one or more A and one or more B; one or more B and one or more C; one or more A and one or more C; and one or more A, one or more B, and one or more C.

[0031] As will be described herein, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for transplanting hair follicles from a donor site to a recipient site using a hair transplant system and method. The hair transplant device described herein includes two needles which cooperate to form a split needle. A split needle is a single hypodermic needle with multiple tips split into two halves. One half of the split needle is attached to the extraction unit and configured to extract at least one hair follicle from a donor site and a second half of the split needle is attached to an implantation unit configured to form an opening into a recipient site.

[0032] Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals correspond to similar elements throughout the several views and. more specifically, referring to FIGS. 1A and IB, a hair transplant device 100 for extracting hair follicles from a donor site of a donor and implanting them into a recipient site of a patient is illustrated. These hair follicles, or follicular units, can contain a single hair or multiple hairs grouped together. The donor and patient may be the same or different persons. In some examples, the donor site is a portion of the scalp located on the rear of a patient's head, and the recipient site is a portion of the scalp located on the top and/or sides of the same patient’s head.

[0033] As can be seen in the illustration of FIG. 1A, the hair transplant device 100 includes a casing 110, an implantation unit 120, an extraction unit 130 (shown in FIG. IB), and an actuation unit 140. The implantation unit 120 is configured to form an opening into a recipient site. FIG. 1 A illustrates the hair transplant device 100 in an assembled view, and FIG. IB illustrates the hair transplant device 100 in an exploded view.

[0034] As can be seen in the exploded view of FIG. IB, the casing 110 is configured to receive an implantation unit 120 and an extraction unit 130 therein. Both the implantation unit 120 and the extraction unit 130 include a needle at a distal end thereof. As used herein, the terms ‘'proximal” and “distal” refer to the position along a longitudinal axis of the hair transplant device 100, from the perspective of an operator of the hair transplant system. Thus, in use, the proximal end portion is located nearer to the operator, and the distal end portion is located nearer to the patient. The proximal end portion of the casing is configured to receive a pin 160. A first resilient element 182 is coupled to the extraction unit 130 and a second resilient element 184 is coupled to the implantation unit 120 and footplate 150.

[0035] The pin 160 extends through a center of the casing 110. The pin 160 is configured to cause the extracting needle 120 to selectively take in or eject a hair follicle. The pin 160 includes a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end of the pin 160 is covered with a mesh (not shown), and the proximal end of the pin 160 may have a port to allow a connection to a vacuum source. The mesh can be configured to prevent a core extracted from the donor site from being pulled into a central lumen of the pin 160. For example, if suction is applied to the central lumen (e.g., via the port using the vacuum source), the mesh can provide a surface that allows suction therethrough, but does not allow the passage of objects such as the extracted core. The mesh can define a porous surface including a plurality of holes. The proximal end of the pin 160 is inserted into the actuation unit 140.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. IB, the first resilient element 182 and second resilient element 184 are a spring. However, in other implementations the first resilient element 182 and second resilient element 184 may be another device that exerts a biasing force. Several of the components of the hair transplant system 100 are illustrated in more detail in FIGS. 2-5.

[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the extraction unit 130 includes an extracting needle 132, an extracting needle mount 134, and an extracting needle carrier 136 including a first actuator portion 138 formed on a proximal end portion thereof. The first actuator portion 138 is configured to be received by the actuation unit 140 (FIG. IB). The extracting needle 132 may be fixedly mounted on the extracting needle mount 134, for example via an adhesive, a weld. etc. The extracting needle mount 134 is shown as including a threaded component which may be received into the extracting needle carrier 136, thereby to permit the extracting needle mount 134 and extracting needle 132 to be removed and disposed if necessary. In other implementations, the extracting needle mount 134 may be fixed within the extracting needle carrier 136, such as via an adhesive.

[0038] FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of an example of the implantation unit of FIGS. 1A-1B. The distal end of the implantation unit 120 includes an implanting needle 122. The proximal end of the implantation unit 120 is in the form of an implanting needle carrier 124.

[0039] Each of the extracting needle 132 and the implanting needle 122 may be in the shape as one-half of a coring needle, which is effectively formed in cooperation with the implanting needle 122 as a hollow needle with a coring needle lumen extending therethrough. Further, the coring needle may include a first distal cutting end. The distal cutting end is configured to cut into the donor site to form a core in order to extract a hair follicle within the core. Each distal cutting end may include a pair of angled surfaces that angle toward each other, intersecting at the distal end of the coring needle. Accordingly, the pair of angled surfaces form a pair of cutting edges disposed on opposite sides of the coring needle lumen. The pair of cutting edges are effectively aligned across the coring needle, such that they both extend radially from an inner surface of the coring needle to an outer surface of the coring needle. As such, the coring needle can be configured to cut into tissue by driving the coring needle into the tissue, without needing to rotate the coring needle. Thus, each of the extracting needle 132 and the implanting needle 122 may include one angled surface forming one cutting edge. When placed in opposition to one another (i.e., at the same longitudinal position), the needles cooperate to form a split coring needle.

[0040] As illustrated in FIG. 4, the actuation unit 140 (FIGS. 1 A-1B) includes a second actuator portion 142. a knurl 144, and a set screw 146. In other implementations, the knurl 144 may be replaced with a lever, a push button, or an electronically driven actuator. More generally, the actuator 140 may be operated manually, electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. The second actuator portion 142 may be formed as a thread on an interior surface of the actuation unit 140, corresponding to a shape of the thread of the first actuator portion 138 of the extraction unit 130. The knurl 144 is configured to permit an operator to rotate the actuation unit 140 while the actuation unit is disposed in the casing 1 10 (e.g., through a window or slot in the casing 110). Rotation of the actuation unit 140 may cause it to advance along the extraction unit 130, thereby to cause advancement of the implantation unit 120. The set screw 146 is configured for locking to the implanting needle carrier 124. According to some examples, there may be a plurality of set screws 146.

[0041] Referring now to FIG. 5, the foot plate 150 (FIGS. 1A-1B) includes a slot 152 on a proximal portion. The foot plate 150 is coupled to the casing 110 and, if the foot plate 150 is advanced to a certain longitudinal position, the slot 152 is configured to engage the locking mechanism 170. The slot 152 may be rectangular. The locking mechanism 170 may be a spring activated lock including a lever which is pivotable to selectively engage or disengage the slot 152.

[0042] Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6B, 6 A illustrates a home or initial configuration of the hair transplant device 100 (FIGS. 1 A-1B), with certain components (e.g., the actuation unit 140 and the pin 160) omitted for clarity⁷. In the initial configuration, both the extracting needle and implanting needle are at the same height and the foot plate is 150 is inside of the casing 110. In this first position, the extracting and implanting needles cooperate to form the split coring needle. The locking mechanism 170 is in an unlocked state. From this position the actuation unit 140 may advance the footplate 150 and implanting unit 120 forward. FIG. 6B illustrates a footplate 150 and implanting needle 122 extended outward toward the patient. In this second position, the implanting needle 122 is longitudinally displaced from the extracting needle 132 in a distal direction and the extracting needle 132 is thus displaced from the implanting needle 122 in a proximal direction, so that it is not exposed. The implanting needle 122 acts as a splitting needle. The footplate 150 is locked to the casing 100 via the locking mechanism 170. The locking mechanism 170 is in a locked state.

[0043] FIG. 7 depicts a method of operation 700 of a hair transplant device. Solely for purposes of explanation, the method 700 will be described as being performed by the hair transplant device 100 of FIGS. 1A-6B. Various states of the hair transplant device 100 are shown in detail in FIGS. 8-11. The method 700 begins with providing the hair transplant device 100, which may comprise an implantation unit (e.g., 120, FIG. IB) and an extraction unit (e.g., 130, FIG. IB). The operation of the hair transplant device 100 is performed with the hair transplant device 100 in an unlocked position, for example as illustrated in FIG. 8. Operation 702 includes setting the hair transplant device 100 to a first position. The implanting needle (e.g., 122, FIG. 1 B) and an extracting needle (e.g., 132, FIG. 1 B) are at an initial position where the implanting needle and the extracting needle are at the same height, thus forming a split coring needle. The foot plate (e.g., 150, FIG. IB) is inside of a casing (e.g., 110, FIG. IB). [0044] Operation 704 includes extracting a follicle of the hair by piercing a donor site with the extracting needle. A core may be extracted by removing the hair transplant system 100 from the donor site. The hair transplant system 100 may then be prepared for implantation. For example, at operation 706, the hair transplant device 100 is set to a second position, such as that illustrated in FIG. 9. The actuation unit (e.g., 140, FIG. IB) is turned to advance the implanting unit and foot plate. Once the hair transplant device is set to the second position, the foot plate is locked. For example, as the footplate moves forward, the footplate is locked to the casing with a locking mechanism (e g., 170, FIG. 1A). The implanting needle and the extracting needle are no longer at the same longitudinal position. With the hair transplant system 100 now prepared for implantation, at operation 710 implanting the follicle is performed by piercing a recipient site with the implanting needle. After the follicle has been implanted, operation 712 of retracting the implanting needle is performed as illustrated in FIG. 10. Operation 712 may be performed by turning the actuation unit in the opposite direction compared to operation 706. Because the lock mechanism is engaging the foot plate, the foot plate remains extended. Next, at operation 714, the foot plate is unlocked (e.g., by actuating a lever of the locking mechanism) as illustrated in FIG. 11.

[0045] The method 700 may be repeated any number of times until a hair transplant procedure is completed. In this case, operation 714 may inherently cause the hair transplant device to return to the first position, so it may not be necessary to perform operation 702 on subsequent iterations of the method 700. In some implementations the hair transplant system 100 may include a plurality of extracting needles and implanting needles, which cooperate in pairs to selectively form split coring needles. In such implementations, the method 700 may proceed as illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0046] The method 700 uses two needles for harvesting and implantation; thus, follicles can spend very little time outside of the body, resulting in, for example reduced mechanical trauma and the duration that a follicle is outside the body, and thus reduced instances of shedding. Moreover, there may be no need to manipulate the follicle between extraction and implantation. These benefits may further be enhanced by, for example, decreasing metabolic demand of follicles before and after transplantation, and/or hardening hair follicles against cellular stress and apoptosis.

[0047] The hair transplant systems and methods described above can be incorporated into an automated hair transplant system. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12 a hair transplant system 1200 may include a controller 1210 having one or more inputs, processors, memories, and outputs, and may be configured to operate a single hair transplant device 1230 (e.g., the hair transplant device 100 described above) and/or a matrix of hair transplant devices to carry out steps for extracting hair follicles from a donor site and implanting the hair follicles in the recipient site. The system 1200 may automate some or all of the operations described above. For example, in some implementations the system 1200 may automate extraction and implantation operations, and a user may manually attach the implantation unit to the hair transplant device 1230 therebetween. In other operations, the hair transplant device 1230 may be configured with devices (e g., mechanical linkages) to permit the operation of attaching the implantation unit to be automated.

[0048] The hair transplant system 1200 may include, access, or communicate with one or more user interfaces and/or an imaging system 1220, by way of a wired or wireless connection to the inputs. In various implementations, the hair transplant system 1200 may include any computing device, apparatus or system configured for carrying out instructions and providing input/output capabilities, and may operate as part of. or in collaboration with other computing devices and sensors/detectors (local and remote). In this regard, the hair transplant system 1200 may be a system that is designed to integrate a variety of software and hardware capabilities and functionalities, and/or may be capable of operating autonomously.

[0049] The input may include any one or more different input elements, such as a mouse, keyboard, touchpad, touch screen, buttons, and the like, for receiving various selections and operational instructions from a user through touch, movement, speech, etc. The input may also include various drives and receptacles, such as flash-drives, USB drives, CD/DVD drives, and other computer-readable medium receptacles, for receiving various data and information. To this end, input may also include various communication ports and modules, such as Ethernet, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi, for exchanging data and information with these, and other external computers, systems, devices, machines, mainframes, servers or networks.

[0050] In addition to being configured to carry out various steps for operating the hair transplant system, the processor 1212 may be configured to execute instructions, stored in the memory 1214 in a non- transitory computer-readable media. The instructions executable by the processor 1212 may correspond to various instruction for completing a hair transplant procedure (such as those previously described). The memory 1214 may be or include a nonvolatile medium, e.g., a magnetic media or hard disk, optical storage, or flash memory; a volatile medium, such as system memory, e.g., random access memory (RAM) such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), extended data out (EDO) DRAM, extreme data rate dynamic (XDR) RAM, double data rate (DDR) SDRAM, etc.; on-chip memory; and/or an installation medium where appropriate, such as software media, e.g., a CD-ROM, or floppy disks, on which programs may be stored and/or data communications may be buffered. Although the non-transitory computer-readable media can be included in the memory 1214, it may be appreciated that instructions executable by the processor 1212 may be additionally or alternatively stored in another data storage location having non-transitory computer-readable media. For example, the hair transplant system 1200 may be configured to implement cloud storage.

[0051] As used herein, a “processor” may include one or more individual electronic processors, each of which may include one or more processing cores, and/or one or more programmable hardware elements. The processor may be or include any type of electronic processing device, including but not limited to central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), or other devices capable of executing software instructions. When a device is referred to as “including a processor,” one or all of the individual electronic processors may be external to the device (e.g., to implement cloud or distributed computing). In implementations where a device has multiple processors and/or multiple processing cores, individual operations described herein may be performed by any one or more of the microprocessors or processing cores, in series or parallel, in any combination.

[0052] In some aspects, the processor 1212 may be configured to receive and process image data from a subject, such as a donor or a recipient, captured by the imaging system 1220 to identify hair follicles and hair follicle orientations within a donor site of the donor and/or to determine implantation locations and necessary' implantation angles within a recipient site of the recipient. In some aspects, the processor 1212 may access information and data, including video signals, stored in or emitted by the imaging system 1220. In some aspects, the imaging system 1220 may acquire either a single image or a continuous video signal using, for example, a camera, an infrared scanning system, or any other image capturing or video recording device that can be used to periodically image and/or scan and/or continuously record the subject.

[0053] In some instances, the imaging system 1220 may be utilized to align the coring needles of the hair transplant devices 1230 along a hair shaft or a plurality of hair shafts. In some non-limiting examples, the imaging system 1220 can include a camera such as a standard complementary’ metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) camera, a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, or an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging device. The OCT imaging device may allow for more precise alignment of the coring needles with reference to the hair shafts due to the capability of OCT imaging to see vertically into the tissue. Once the skin cores have been extracted, the hair transplant device 1230, under control of the automated hair transplant system 1200, may position itself over the recipient site for implantation of the hairs. A computer image may similarly be obtained of the recipient site that may show a natural hair line for the patient and direct where the hairs should be implanted. The ability of the needles to move independently may allow for better shaping and following of a natural hair line. In some instances, the patient may be positioned in a support holder or laying down to limit movement during this process.

[0054] The output of the hair transplant system 1200 is configured to effectuate the operation of the hair transplant devices 1230. As such, the output may include various robotic devices capable of manipulating and operating the hair transplant devices 1230 and the interface features thereof, to effectuate extraction of hair follicles from a donor site, creation of openings within the recipient, and implantation of the hair follicles within the openings of the recipient, as described above. As such, a user, such as a doctor or other hair transplant procedure personnel, can interact with a user interface of the hair transplant system 1200 to command the automated hair transplant system 1200 to effectuate a hair transplant procedure on a subject in accordance with any of the devices and methods described herein.

[0055] FIG. 13 depicts a method 1300 of manufacturing and assembly of a hair transplant system, which may be the hair transplant device 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A. The method 1300 includes a first operation 1302 of providing a casing (e.g. as shown in FIG. 1 A). The casing may include a locking mechanism such as a spring activated lock. The method 1300 includes a second operation 1304 of inserting an implantation unit (e.g., 120 of FIG. IB) into the casing. The implantation unit including an implanting needle and implanting needle carrier. The method 1300 includes a third operation 1306 of inserting the extraction unit (e.g. 130 of FIG. IB) into the implantation unit. The extraction unit includes an extracting needle and extracting needle carrier. The method includes a fourth operation 1308 of inserting an actuation unit into the casing and over the extraction unit. The casing may be configured to receive a foot plate on the distal end and an actuation unit on the proximal end. The actuation unit is configured to selectively advance the footplate and implantation unit forward concurrently the footplate gets locked into the casing with the locking mechanism. [0056] The hair transplantation device 100 may be manufactured in an assembled state, and thus method 1300 may be followed by inserting the implantation unit into the casing, inserting the extraction unit in the implantation unit and inserting the actuation unit into the casing and over the extraction unit. Variations on the method 1300 are also contemplated. For example, it may be possible to first provide an extraction unit, subsequently to insert an actuation unit and/or an implantation unit over the extraction unit, and subsequently to insert a casing over the remaining components. Thus, the hair transplant device 100 may be manufactured by providing the various components in any order, and then assembling the components.

[0057] Other examples and uses of the disclosed technology will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification and examples given should be considered exemplary only, and it is contemplated that the appended claims will cover any other such embodiments or modifications as fall within the true scope of the invention.

[0058] The Abstract accompanying this specification is provided to enable the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure and in no way intended for defining, determining, or limiting the present invention or any of its embodiments.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A hair transplant system, comprising: a casing; an implantation unit received in the casing, the implantation unit including an implanting needle at a distal end thereof; an extraction unit received in the implantation unit, the extraction unit including an extracting needle at a distal end thereof and a first actuator portion at a proximal end thereof; and an actuation unit received in the casing and over the extraction unit, the actuation unit including a second actuator portion in cooperation with the first actuation unit and configured to selectively move the hair transplant system between a first position in which the extracting needle is at substantially the same longitudinal position as the implanting needle, and a second position in which the extracting needle is longitudinally displaced from the implanting needle in a proximal direction.

2. The hair transplant system of claim 1, wherein, in the first position, the extracting needle and the implanting needle cooperate to form a split needle.

3. The hair transplant system of claim 2, wherein the split needle is a coring needle.

4. The hair transplant system of claim 1, further comprising: a locking mechanism configured to lock the extraction unit in the first position or the second position.

5. The hair transplant system of claim 4, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a spring-activated lock mounted on the casing.

6. The hair transplant system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator portion includes a first thread formed in the proximal end of the extraction unit, and wherein the second actuator portion includes a second thread configured to cooperate with the first thread.

7. The hair transplant system of claim 1, wherein the actuation unit includes a nut, wherein rotation movement of the nut causes longitudinal movement of the extracting unit.

8. The hair transplant system of claim 1, further comprising a pin extending through a center of the casing and configured to cause the hair transplant system to selectively take in or eject a hair follicle.

9. The hair transplant system of claim 8, wherein the pin includes a port configured for connection to a vacuum source, and a central lumen in fluid communication with a cavity of the casing configured to receive the hair follicle from a donor site.

10. The hair transplant system of claim 1 , further comprising a foot plate configured to move along the implantation unit in a longitudinal direction, the foot plate including a slot configured to cooperate with the locking mechanism.

11. A hair transplant method, comprising: providing a hair transplant system, the hair transplant system comprising a casing; an implantation unit received in the casing, the implantation unit including an implanting needle at a distal end thereof; an extraction unit received in the implantation unit, the extraction unit including an extracting needle at a distal end thereof; and a foot plate, wherein the hair transplant system is movable between a first position in which the extracting needle is at substantially the same longitudinal position as the implanting needle, and a second position in which the implanting needle is longitudinally displaced from the extracting needle in a distal direction, and wherein in the first position, the extracting needle and the implanting needle cooperate to form a split needle; in a state of the hair transplant system being in the first position, extracting a hair follicle from a donor site with the split needle; moving the hair transplant system from the first position to the second position; locking the foot plate at a location corresponding to the second position; in a state of the hair transplant system being in the second position, implanting the hair follicle at a recipient site with the implanting needle; and in a state of the extracting needle being locked at the location corresponding to the second position, retracting the implanting needle.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: unlocking the foot plate, thereby moving the hair transplant system to the first position.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the operation of unlocking the foot plate includes actuating a spring-activated lock mechanism mounted on the casing.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the operation of locking the foot plate is automatically performed by a spring-activated lock mechanism mounted on the casing.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein: the implanting unit includes a first actuator portion at a proximal end thereof; the hair transplant system further comprises an actuation unit received in the casing and over the extracting unit, the actuation unit including a second actuator portion in cooperation with the first actuation unit and configured to selectively move the hair transplant system between the first position and the second position.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the hair transplant system from the first position to the second position includes rotating the actuation unit to cause longitudinal movement of the implanting unit.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hair transplant system further comprises a pin extending through a center of the casing, and wherein the operation of extracting the hair follicle includes applying a vacuum via the pin.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hair transplant system further comprises a pin extending through a center of the casing, and wherein the operation of implanting the hair follicle includes actuating the pin.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the split needle is configured to operate as a coring needle.

20. A method of manufacturing a hair transplant system, comprising: providing a casing; inserting an implantation unit in the casing, the implantation unit including an implanting needle at a distal end thereof; inserting an extraction unit in the implantation unit, the extraction unit including an extracting needle at a distal end thereof and a first actuator portion at a proximal end thereof; and inserting an actuation unit in the casing and over the extraction unit, the actuation unit including a second actuator portion in cooperation with the first actuation unit and configured to selectively move the hair transplant system between a first position in which the extracting needle is at substantially the same longitudinal position as the implanting needle, and a second position in which the extracting needle is longitudinally displaced from the implanting needle in a proximal direction.