EP4615364A1

EP4615364A1 - Systems and methods for uni-to-multi hair extraction-implantation

Info

Publication number: EP4615364A1
Application number: EP23889413.3A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sandeep KORUPOLU; William A. Farinelli; 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: WO2024102402A1

Abstract

Systems and methods for hair transplantation include and/or implement a cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; an extraction unit, comprising: a first casing including a first slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge, an extracting needle, and a first actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot; and an implantation unit, comprising: a second casing including a second slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge, at least one implanting needle, and a second actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UNI-TO-MULTI HAIR EXTRACTIONIMPLANTATION

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/382,908, filed on November 9, 2022, entitled ‘'Uni to multi hair extractionimplantation device,” 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 extracting and implanting hair using a releasable and transferrable cartridge.

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 which include a cartridge that may be released from an extraction device or an implantation device, and which may be switched therebetween. Thus, the systems and methods of the present disclosure provides for the extraction of multiple hair follicles from the donor site quickly, as well as for the simultaneous or near-simultaneous implantation of the hair follicles within multiple openings of the recipient site. Additionally, no manipulation of the follicles themselves (e.g., placing in a petri dish or other storage implement) is needed between extraction and implantation.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a hair transplant system is provided. The system comprises a cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; an extraction unit, comprising: a first casing including a first slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge, an extracting needle, and a first actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot; and an implantation unit, comprising: a second casing including a second slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge, at least one implanting needle, and a second actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot.

[0009] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a hair extraction device is provided. The device comprises a cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; a casing including a slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge; an extracting needle; and an actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in the slot.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a hair implantation device is provided. The device comprises a cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; a casing including a slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge; at least one implanting needle; and an actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in the slot.

[0011] 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 cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; an extraction unit including a first casing having a first slot configured to receive the cartridge, an extracting needle, and a first actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot, and an implantation unit including a second casing including a second slot configured to receive the cartridge, at least one implanting needle, and a second actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot; in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot, extracting a hair follicle from a donor site with the extracting needle a plurality of times; and between respective ones of the plurality of times, rotating the cartridge so that an empty slot is aligned with the extracting needle.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure a method of manufacturing a hair transplant system is provided. The method comprises providing a cartridge, the cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; providing an extraction unit, the extraction unit comprising: a first casing including a first slot configured to receive the cartridge, an extracting needle, and a first actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot; and providing an implantation unit, the implantation unit comprising: a second casing including a second slot configured to receive the cartridge, at least one implanting needle, and a second actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] 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 shoyv structural details of an example in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the teachings of the disclosures. In the drawings:

[0014] FIGS. 1 A illustrates an example of an extraction unit of a hair transplant system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIG. IB illustrates an exploded view of the extraction unit of FIG. 1 A.

[0016] FIG. 1C illustrates the hair transplant system of FIGS. 1A-1B with the casing removed.

[0017] FIGS. 2A illustrates an example of an implantation unit of a hair transplant system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 2B illustrates an exploded view of the implantation unit of FIG. 2A.

[0019] FIG. 2C illustrates the hair transplant system of FIGS. 2A-2B with the casing removed.

[0020] FIGS. 3 A illustrates another example of an extraction unit of a hair transplant system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 3B illustrates an exploded view of the extraction unit of FIG. 3 A.

[0022] FIG. 3C illustrates the hair transplant system of FIGS. 3A-3B with the casing removed.

[0023] FIGS. 4A illustrates an example of a cartridge of the hair transplant system of FIGS. 3A-3C.

[0024] FIG. 4B illustrates an example of a cartridge of the hair transplant system of FIGS. 3A-3C.

[0025] FIG. 4C illustrates an example of an operation of the cartridge of the hair transplant system of FIGS. 3A-3C.

[0026] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a hair transplant method in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic of an example of an automated hair transplant system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a method of manufacturing in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] 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.

[0030] 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.

[0031] It should be understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as '’first.'’ ’’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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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 system described herein includes an extracting unit configured to extract at least one hair follicle from a donor site and is stored inside of a cartridge. The cartridge removably coupled to an implantation unit, the implantation unit including configured to form an opening into a recipient site.

[0034] A hair transplant system 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 the 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. The hair transplant system includes an extraction unit and an implantation.

[0035] 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 system 10 (an example of a “hair transplant system” in accordance with the present disclosure) including an extraction unit 100 for extracting hair follicles from a donor site and storing them in a cartridge is illustrated.

[0036] As can be seen in the illustration of FIG. 1A, the hair transplant system 10 includes an extraction unit 100. The extraction unit 100 is configured to form an opening into a donor site, thereby to extract a hair follicle. The extraction unit 100 receives a cartridge 50 to store the extracted hair cores. FIG. 1A illustrates the hair transplant system 10 in an assembled view, and FIG. IB illustrates the hair transplant system 10 in an exploded view. [0037] As can be seen in the exploded view of FIG. IB, the extraction unit 100 includes a casing 110, which extends from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion. As used herein, the terms "proximal" and '‘distal’’ refer to the position along a longitudinal axis of the hair transplant system 10, from the perspective of an operator of the hair transplant device. 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 extracting unit 100 includes a pin 140 at the proximal end portion. The pin 140 is coupled to a resilient element 142 which is configured to fit inside of the casing 110. The casing 110 further includes a slot 112 configured to releasably receive the cartridge 50.

[0038] The extraction unit 100 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 1C which illustrates the hair transplant system of FIGS. 1 A-1B with the casing 110 removed. A motor shaft 132 is coupled to the cartridge 50 at a first end and a motor coupler 134 at a second end. The motor coupler 134 is coupled to an actuator 130. An extracting needle 120 is located at the distal end portion of the extraction unit 100. The extracting needle 120 is coupled to aneedle mount 114. [0039] The extraction unit 100 may be motorized. According to the illustrated example in FIGS. 1A-1C, the selective rotation of the cartridge 50 is caused by the actuator 130 (e.g., a gear drive, an electric motor, etc.) coupled to the cartridge 50. The actuator 130 is configured to rotate the cartridge 50 so that the next empty slot 52 is aligned to the extracting needle 120 to receive the next hair follicle. The actuator may be operated manually (e.g., through a switch) or automatically (e.g., through a sensor in the cartridge that senses the hair follicle in the slot 52 aligned with the extracting needle 120). In other examples, rather than being motor-actuated, the cartridge 50 may be actuated using pneumatics, hydraulics, electromagnetics, and the like. [0040] The cartridge 50 is configured to store each hair follicle individually after it is extracted. The cartridge 50 may be in the shape of a cylinder with multiple slots 52 or in a shape of a rectangular unit with multiple slots 52 for storing the hair follicles. The cartridge 50 may be releasably attached to the extracting unit 100 with mechanical linkages or electromechanical mechanisms. The cartridge 50 may be detachable from the extracting unit 100. The cartridge 50 can be configured to store a plurality of extracted hair cores, such that a plurality of hair follicle extractions could be conducted prior to a subsequent implant procedure. That is, as opposed to extracting/impl nting a single hair core at a time, a plurality of hair cores could be extracted back-to-back prior to any implanting. The cartridge 50 can be rotatably coupled to the casing 110 between the proximal end and the distal end. The cartridge 50 is rotatable (e.g., resolvable) around an axis parallel to an axis defined by the extracting needle 120. This axis of rotation is radially offset from the central axis. The cartridge 50 can include a plurality of slots 52. In the illustrated example, the slots 52 are configured as hair core storage chambers that extend axially through the cartridge 50. Rotation of the cartridge 50 can selectively align one of the plurality of slots 52 into alignment with the coring lumen (not show n) of the extracting needle 120. In some implementations, the cartridge 50 may include an insignia (e.g., a detent, a notch, a partial bore, etc.) to designate a starting rotational position for the cartridge 50. Thus, the extraction unit 100 may be capable of determining when the cartridge 50 has completed a full rotation, which would indicate that each of the slots 52 are filled. While FIG. 1C illustrates the cartridge 50 as including ten slots 52, in practical implementations more or fewer slots 52 may be provided.

[0041] The extracting needle 120 may be a coring needle, formed 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 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. [0042] Referring back to FIG. IB, the pin 140 extends through a center of the casing 110. The pin 140 is configured to cause the extracting needle 120 to selectively take in or eject a hair follicle. The pin 140 includes a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end of the pin 140 is covered with a mesh (not shown), and the proximal end of the pin 140 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 140. 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 140 is inserted into the casing 110 of the extracting unit 100. The resilient element 142 is configured to provide a return force such that, if the pin 140 is pressed into the casing 110, the resilient element 142 causes the pin 140 to return to its original position. [0043] As illustrated in FIG. IB, the resilient element 142 is a spring. However, in other implementations the resilient element 142 may be another device that exerts a biasing force.

[0044] As can be seen in the illustration of FIG. 2A, the hair transplant system 10 includes an implantation unit 200. The implantation unit 200 is configured to implant multiple hair follicles. The implantation unit 200 includes a cartridge 50 to store the extracted hair cores. The cartridge 50 of FIG. 2A may be the same as the cartridge 50 of FIG. 1A. For example, the cartridge 50 may be configured to be swapped between the extraction unit 100 and the implantation unit 200, as will be described in more detail below. FIG. 2A illustrates the hair transplant system 10 in an assembled view, and FIG. 2B illustrates the hair transplant system 10 in an exploded view.

[0045] As can be seen in the exploded view of FIG. 2B, the implantation unit 200 includes a casing 210, which extends from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion. The implantation unit 200 includes a pin 240 at the proximal end portion. The pin 240 is coupled to a resilient element 242 which is configured to fit inside of the casing 210. The casing 210 further includes a slot 212 configured to releasably receive the cartridge 50.

[0046] FIG. 2C illustrates the hair transplant system of FIGS. 2A-2B with the casing 210 removed. A motor shaft 232 is coupled to the cartridge 50 at a first end and a motor coupler 234 at a second end. The motor coupler 234 is coupled to an actuator 230. An implanting needle 220 is located at the distal end portion of the extraction unit 100. The implanting needle 220 is coupled to a needle mount 214.

[0047] The extraction unit 200 may be motorized. According to the illustrated example in FIGS. 2A-2C, the selective rotation of the cartridge 50 is caused by the actuator 230 (e.g., a gear drive, an electric motor, etc.) coupled to the cartridge 50. The actuator 230 is configured to rotate the cartridge 50 so that the next empty slot 52 is aligned to the implanting needle 220 to position the next hair follicle for implantation. The actuator may be operated manually (e.g., through a switch) or automatically (e.g., through a sensor in the cartridge that senses the hair follicle in the slot(s) 52 aligned with the implanting needle(s) 220. In other examples, rather than being motor-actuated, the cartridge 50 may be actuated using pneumatics, hydraulics, electromagnetics, and the like.

[0048] Each implanting needle 220 may be a splitting needle, formed as a hollow needle with a splitting needle lumen extending therethrough. Further, the splitting needle includes a second distal cutting end that is angled relative to a central axis of the splitting needle. The distal cutting end of the splitting needle is configured to form an opening in a recipient site in order to implant the extracted core. The second distal cutting end has a specific geometry (e.g., the angle of the distal cutting edge) that can prevent tissue from entering the splitting needle while the splitting needle cuts into skin by piercing the skin and gradually pushing the tissue apart, similar to the function of a hypodermic needle.

[0049] While FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate an example in which the implanting unit 200 includes two implanting needles 220, in practical implementations the implanting unit may be comprised of more or fewer implanting needles 220 and equal number of pins, limited only by the number of slots 52 in the cartridge 50. The cartridge 50 with extracted hair cores will be inserted into the implanting unit, such that the needles, pins, and the hair cores are in a vertical alignment. Where the cartridge 50 includes an insignia as described above, the insignia may be used to align the cartridge 50 in a starting position. These multiple cores will be implanted, one or all at a time by advancing the pins.

[0050] According to some examples, the selective rotation of the rotating cartridge 50 in the extraction unit and/or implantation unit can be done manually instead of the motorized rotation illustrated in FIGS. 1A-2C. More specifically, referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, a hair transplant system 20 (an example of a “hair transplant system” in accordance with the present disclosure) including an extraction unit 300 for extracting hair follicles from a donor site and storing them in a cartridge is illustrated.

[0051] As can be seen in the illustration of FIG. 3A, the hair transplant system 20 includes an extraction unit 300. The extraction unit 300 is configured to form an opening into a donor site, thereby to extract a hair follicle. The extraction unit 300 includes a cartridge assembly 60 which houses a cartridge 62 (see FIG. 3B) to store the extracted hair cores. FIG. 3A illustrates the hair transplant system 20 in an assembled view, and FIG. 3B illustrates the hair transplant system 20 in an exploded view.

[0052] As can be seen in the exploded view of FIG. 3B, the extraction unit 300 includes a casing 310, which extends from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion. The extracting unit 300 includes an extracting needle 320 at the distal end portion thereof. The extracting needle 320 is coupled to an actuator 330. The cartridge 62 is operated through a cam 332 coupled to the actuator 330. The actuator 330 is configured to receive a first resilient element 334 which is coupled to the casing 310. The casing 310 has a slot 312 to receive the cartridge assembly 60. The cartridge assembly 60 includes a cover 70 configured to receive a cartridge holder 68. The cartridge holder 68 is configured to receive the cartridge 62. The extracting unit 300 includes a pin 340 at the proximal end portion. The pin 340 is coupled to a second resilient element 342 which is configured to fit inside of the casing 310.

[0053] The extraction unit 300 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3C which illustrates the extraction unit 300 of the hair transplant system 20 of FIGS. 3A-3B with the casing 310 removed. The second resilient element 342 surrounds the pin 340. The pin 340 rests on the cartridge 62 of the cartridge assembly 60, aligning with a slot 64 which is in turn aligned with the extracting needle 320. When the cartridge 62 is rotated, the pin 340 will remain in position and then be aligned with the next slot 64 in the cartridge 62.

[0054] FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate an example of the cartridge 62 in cooperation with the actuator 330 of the hair transplant system 20 of FIGS. 3A-3C. The cartridge 62 includes a slot 64 on an outer circumferential surface and a groove 66 on the exterior of the surface (see FIG. 3B). The position of actuator 330 may vary as show n in FIGS. 4A and 4B, for example based on pressure applied by the extracting needle 320. In use, the operation of the cam 332 and the groove 66 function to rotate the cartridge 62 within the slot 312.

[0055] In operation, a user may pierce the donor site with the extracting needle 320 to extract a hair follicle. The contact force between the donor site and the extracting needle 320 will cause the actuator 330 to move in the proximal direction. Thus, the cam 332 moves proximally in the groove 66 of the cartridge 62, as illustrated by the dashed line in FIG. 4C. This contact force causes the cartridge 62 and the actuator 330 to move from the relative configuration illustrated in FIG. 4A to the relative configuration illustrated in FIG. 4B. When the cam 332 reaches the most proximal point in the groove 66, the hair follicle has been extracted into the corresponding slot 64 and the biasing force of the first resilient element 334will cause the actuator 330 to move in the distal direction. Thus, the cam 332 moves distally in the groove 66, as illustrated by the dotted line in FIG. 4C. This biasing force causes the cartridge 62 and the actuator 330 to move from the relative configuration illustrated in FIG. 4B to a relative configuration similar to that illustrated in FIG. 4B, but with the cartridge 62 rotated by an angle of 360/n degrees, where n is the total number of slots 64 in the cartridge 62.

[0056] By comparing FIGS 3A-3C with FIGS. 1A-1C, it can be seen that the manual rotation example differs from the automatic (motorized) rotation example by, for example, replacing the cartridge 50 with the cartridge assembly 60, and by replacing the motor assembly (actuator 130, motor shaft 132, and motor coupler 134) with a cam assembly (actuator 330, cam 332, and first resilient element 334). The manual rotation and cartridge assembly implementation of FIGS. 3A-4C may also be applied to an implantation device. Thus, one can adapt the implantation unit 200 of FIGS. 2A-2C for use with the cartridge assembly 60 by, for example, replacing the motor assembly (actuator 130, motor shaft 132, and motor coupler 134) with a similar cam assembly including an actuator, cam, and first resilient element.

[0057] In the illustrated examples, in which the extracting needle 120, 320 is a coring needle and the implanting needle 220 is a splitting needle, the inner diameter of the coring needle and the inner diameter of the splitting needle are substantially the same. That is, the coring needle defines a first diameter that is equal to a second diameter defined by the splitting needle. In other examples, however, the diameters of the coring and splitting needles may be different from one another.

[0058] V arious components of the hair transplant systems 10, 20 may be made of metal or another appropriate material (e.g., plastic, ceramic, and the like). For example, the extracting needle 120, 320, the implanting needle 220, and the pin 240 and may be made from medical grade or surgical stainless steel. This allows for easy cleaning of the hair transplant systems 10, 20. The extracting needle 120, 320 and implanting needle 220 may be equal or different sizes. In some examples, the hair transplant systems 10, 20 may include a plurality of implanting needles 220. For example, while FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate an example having two implanting needles 220. more implanting needles 220 (and a pin 240 having more prongs) may be provided. Any number of implanting needles 220 may be provided, limited only by the size of the recipient site and/or the size of the implantation unit 200. The plurality of implanting needles 220 may be arranged in-line or in a circular or other two-dimensional arrangement. A plurality of in-line needles may be spaced so as to implant hairs that are immediately adjacent (e.g., approximately 1 mm apart), evenly spaced, or may be spaced so as to allow the user to implant hairs that are not immediately adjacent. The extracting needle 120, 320 and/or implanting needle 220 may also be interchangeable or disposable and replaced after use. In one example the extracting needle 120, 320 and implanting needles 220 are 14 gauge needles. The extracting needle 120, 320 and implanting needle 220 may be exchanged for needles of different sizes. The implanting needle 220 density’ can be varied. Thus, the hair tissues can be extracted at one density' and implanted at a different density. As such the hair transplant systems 10 and 20 can have a plurality of implanting needles 220 of any suitable shape or size, with evenly or unevenly spaced hair transplant devices, as desired by the doctor or other hair transplant procedure personnel.

[0059] Now that the general structure of the hair transplant system 10 and the hair transplant system 20 have been described above, exemplary methods of use will be described below. It should be noted that the methods of use described below are given as examples and are not meant to be limiting in any way.

[0060] The hair transplant system 10 or 20 can be used to perform multiple different procedures to complete a hair transplant operation on a patient. For example, the hair transplant system 10 is designed to perform an extraction procedure using the extraction unit 100 and an implantation procedure using the implantation unit 200. Although any one of these two procedures can be performed individually by the hair transplant system 10, the hair transplant system 10 allows for the two procedures to be done sequentially and repetitively. That is, the hair transplant system 10 can first be used to extract a hair follicle from a donor site of a donor during an extraction procedure. Then, the hair transplant system 10 can be used to implant the hair follicle from the donor site into the recipient site. Finally, once the hair follicle has been implanted into the recipient site, the hair transplant system 10 can be used to repeat this process again and again to complete the hair transplant operation. This process may be repeated, for example, tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times.

[0061] FIG. 5 depicts a method of operation 500 of a hair transplant system 10. Solely for purposes of explanation, the method 500 will be described as being performed by the hair transplant system 10 of FIGS 1A and 2A. The method 500 can also be used with the configuration of FIG. 3A and the corresponding manual -rotation implantation unit described above. In such implementations, operations 506 and/or 514 may be performed via the operation of the cam and the groove, as illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4C.

[0062] Generally, the method 500 may be described as a method of extracting a target hair follicle from a donor site into a hair transplant system with an extracting needle of an extraction unit, storing the hair follicle into a cartridge, detaching the cartridge from the extraction unit and transferring the cartridge to an implantation unit, and implanting the target hair follicle at a recipient site with the implanting needle.

[0063] The method 500 begins with operation 502 of extracting the hair from the donor site. The extraction unit is pierced at the target hair follicle. Once a hair follicle is extracted into the assigned slot of the cartridge of the extraction unit, a decision operation 504 is reached by the user or the system to determine whether the desired number of extracted hair follicles has been achieved. Operation 504 may be performed with reference to the insignia described above (e.g., by determining whether the cartridge has returned to the starting position, indicating that all slots have been filled) and/or may be performed with reference to a sensor or counter indicating whether a full rotation of the cartridge has been achieved. In some implementations, the user may deem the extraction operation complete even if the cartridge is only partially full. If the desired number of extracted hair follicles has not been achieved, the user may extract another hair follicle from the donor site by proceeding to operation 506 of rotating the cartridge. Once a slot is filled with a hair follicle, the motor rotates the cartridge, so that the next empty slot will be aligned with the extracting needle and will be ready to receive the next hair follicle. Because, in the manual implementation illustrated in FIGS. 3A-4C, the rotation of the cartridge is performed as a result of the operation of extracting hair, in such implementations operations 502 and 506 may be combined.

[0064] Once the desired number of hair follicles has been extracted and inserted into the slots of the cartridge, the user continues to operation 508 transferring the cartridge to the implantation unit. Transferring with an extraction unit with a motor may include pulling back the motor shaft and pulling out the cartridge, whereas in the manual case it may include removing the cover. Once operation 508 is completed, operation 510 implanting the hairs from the cartridge into the donor site is performed. Once a hair follicle is inserted into the donor site, a decision operation 512 is reached by the user to determine whether implantation is complete. If implantation of the hair follicles is not complete, the user may implant another hair follicle or follicles by proceeding to operation 514 rotating the cartridge. Because, in the manual implementation illustrated in FIGS. 3 A-4C, the rotation of the cartridge is performed as a result of the operation of extracting hair, in such implementations operations 510 and 514 may be combined.

[0065] Once the desired number of hair follicles has been implanted, the user continues to operation 516 transferring the cartridge back to the extraction unit if the hair transplant procedure is not complete. However, operation 516 need not be performed, for example if the hair transplant procedure has been completed.

[0066] In some implementations, the method 500 may be performed by multiple users working in tandem. For example, a first user may perform operations 502-506 using an extracting unit and a first cartridge, and may then (at operation 508) transfer the first cartridge to a second user using an implanting unit. The second user may perform operations 510-514 using the follicles stored in the first cartridge, and the first user may at the same time perform another iteration of operations 502-506 using the extracting unit and a second cartridge. In this manner, the first and second user may pass the first and second cartridges back and forth until the transplant procedure is completed. [0067] According to some examples, the method 500 of the hair transplant system 10, 20 is a more efficient and cheaper alternative for hair transplants. Extracting hair using the hair transplant device 100, 300 is faster (e.g., twice as fast) as of hair removal Follicular Unit Extraction (“FUE”) and up to five times faster than the overall process of FUE.

[0068] The hair transplant systems described above can be incorporated into an automated hair transplant system. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a hair transplant system 600 may include a controller 610 having one or more inputs, processors, memories, and outputs.

[0069] The hair transplant system 600 may include, access, or communicate with one or more user interfaces and/or an imaging system 620, by way of a wired or wireless connection to the inputs. In various implementations, the hair transplant system 600 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 600 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] In addition to being configured to carry out various steps for operating the hair transplant system, the processor 612 may be configured to execute instructions, stored in the memory 614 in a non-transitory computer-readable media. The instructions executable by the processor 612 may correspond to various instruction for completing a hair transplant procedure (such as those previously described). The memory 614 may be or include a non-volatile 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 614, it may be appreciated that instructions executable by the processor 612 may be additionally or alternatively stored in another data storage location having non-transitory computer-readable media. For example, the hair transplant system 600 may be configured to implement cloud storage.

[0072] 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.

[0073] In some aspects, the processor 612 may be configured to receive and process image data from a subject, such as a donor or a recipient, captured by the imaging system 620 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 612 may access information and data, including video signals, stored in or emitted by the imaging system 620. In some aspects, the imaging system 620 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.

[0074] In some instances, the imaging system 620 may be utilized to align the coring needles of the hair transplant devices 630 along a hair shaft or a plurality of hair shafts. In some non-limiting examples, the imaging system 620 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 hair cores have been extracted, the hair transplant device 630, under control of the automated hair transplant system 600, 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.

[0075] The output of the hair transplant system 600 is configured to effectuate the operation of the hair transplant devices 630. As such, the output may include various robotic devices capable of manipulating and operating the hair transplant devices 630 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 600 to command the automated hair transplant system 600 to effectuate a hair transplant procedure on a subject in accordance with any of the devices and methods described herein.

[0076] FIG. 7 depicts a method 700 of manufacturing and assembly of a hair transplant system, such as the hair transplant system 10 or the hair transplant system 20. The method includes a first operation 702 of providing a cartridge. The cartridge may be the cartridge 50 illustrated in FIG. 1 A and may include a slot (e.g., 52, FIG. IB). The cartridge may also be the cartridge 62 illustrated in FIG. 3B and may include a slot (e.g., 64, FIG. 3B) and groove (e.g., 66, FIG. 3B).

[0077] The method includes a second operation 704 of providing an extraction unit, which may be the extraction unit 100 illustrated in FIG. IB. The extraction unit may also be the extraction unit 300 illustrated in FIG. 3B. The extraction unit may thus include a casing (e.g., 110, FIG. IB) extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, wherein the distal end portion includes an extracting needle (e.g., 120. FIG. IB).

[0078] The method includes a third operation 706 of providing an implantation unit, which may be the implantation unit 200 illustrated in FIG. 2A. The implantation unit may also be the manual-rotation implantation unit described above. The implantation unit may thus include a casing (e.g., 210, FIG. 2B) extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, wherein the distal end portion includes two or more implantation needles 220.

[0079] Operations 702-706 may be performed serially in either order, or may be performed in parallel. Operations 702-706 may be repeated, for example, tens, hundreds, or even thousands of times. In some examples, method 700 may include an assembly operation. For example, after operations 702 and 704 have been performed, the cartridge may be inserted into the corresponding slot of the extraction unit thereby to provide an assembled hair extraction device. In such implementations, operation 706 may be omitted. Moreover, after operations 702 and 706 have been performed, the cartridge may be inserted into the corresponding slot of the implantation unit thereby to provide an assembled hair implantation device. In such implementations, operation 704 may be omitted.

[0080] As such, the devices, systems, and methods described herein allow for a user to extract at least one hair follicle from a donor site, store the at least one hair follicle in a cartridge, and implant the at least one hair follicle without the need for any physical manipulation of the at least one hair follicle. For e.g., a harvest rate 1 at a time and implanting rate 4 at a time. For example, extracting unit collects one at a time and puts them in a 10-column cartridge. The 10- column cartridge is loaded to an implanting device that implants four columns at once. Accordingly, systems, and methods allow for more efficient, reliable, and predictable hair transplant procedures than compared to traditional devices, systems, and methods.

[0081] 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.

[0082] 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 cartridge including a plurality’ of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; an extraction unit, comprising: a first casing including a first slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge, an extracting needle, and a first actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot; and an implantation unit, comprising: a second casing including a second slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge, at least one implanting needle, and a second actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first actuator includes a motor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first actuator includes a spring and a cam, the cartridge includes a groove in a circumferential surface thereof, the groove configured to receive the cam in the state of the cartridge being received in the first slot, and in response to the extracting needle being pierced into a skin at a donor site, the first actuator is configured to cause the cartridge to rotate within the first slot.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second actuator includes a motor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second actuator includes a resilient element and a cam, the cartridge includes a groove in a circumferential surface thereof, the groove configured to receive the cam in the state of the cartridge being received in the second slot, and in response to the at least one implanting needle being pierced into a skin at a recipient site, the second actuator is configured to cause the cartridge to rotate within the second slot.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one implanting needle is a plurality of implanting needles.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of slots is ten or more slots.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the extraction unit includes a pin, and in a state of the extracting needle being pierced into a skin at a donor site, the pin is configured to cause a hair follicle at the donor site to be received and stored by the cartridge.

9. The 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 first casing configured to receive the hair follicle from the donor site.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantation unit includes at least one pin, the at least one pin and the at least one implanting needle being equal in number, and in a state of the extracting needle being pierced into a skin at a recipient site, actuation of the at least one pin is configured to cause at least one hair stored in the cartridge to be implanted at the donor site.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to detect whether a slot of the plurality of slots has a hair follicle stored therein.

12. A hair extraction device, comprising: a cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; a casing including a slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge; an extracting needle; and an actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in the slot.

13. A hair implantation device, comprising: a cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; a casing including a slot configured to releasably receive the cartridge; at least one implanting needle; and an actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in the slot.

14. A hair transplant method, comprising: providing a hair transplant system, the hair transplant system comprising a cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; an extraction unit including a first casing having a first slot configured to receive the cartridge, an extracting needle, and a first actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot, and an implantation unit including a second casing including a second slot configured to receive the cartridge, at least one implanting needle, and a second actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot; in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot, extracting a hair follicle from a donor site with the extracting needle a plurality of times; and between respective ones of the plurality of times, rotating the cartridge so that an empty slot is aligned with the extracting needle.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: transferring the cartridge from the extracting unit to the implantation unit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein: the extraction unit includes a motor and a motor shaft configured to couple the motor to the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot, and the operation of transferring the cartridge includes moving the motor such that the motor shaft disengages the cartridge, and removing the cartridge from the first slot.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising: in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot, implanting a plurality of hair follicles into a recipient site with the at least one implanting needle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: repeating the operation of implanting a plurality of times; and between respective ones of the plurality of times, rotating the cartridge so that at least one hair follicle is aligned with the at least one implanting needle.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: transferring the cartridge from the implantation unit to the extracting unit.

20. A method of manufacturing a hair transplant system, comprising: providing a cartridge, the cartridge including a plurality of slots configured to store a plurality of hair cores; providing an extraction unit, the extraction unit comprising: a first casing including a first slot configured to receive the cartridge, an extracting needle, and a first actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the first slot; and providing an implantation unit, the implantation unit comprising: a second casing including a second slot configured to receive the cartridge, at least one implanting needle, and a second actuator configured to rotate the cartridge in a state of the cartridge being received in the second slot.