# US 11,110,272 B2 · Apparatus for stimulating hair growth and/or preventing hair loss > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,110,272 B2 - Document ID: US11110272B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/944,168 - Filed: 2018-04-03 - Published: 2018-11-15 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-08 - Assignees: Pilogics L.P. - Applicants: Pilogics L.P. - Inventors: Dov Ingman; Erez Manor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110272B2 ## CPC - A61N 1/325: {for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body (electrodes for external use A61N1/0428)} - A61N 1/0502: {Skin piercing electrodes} - A61N 1/36017: {with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin} - A61M 37/0092: {using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis} - A61M 2037/0007: {having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents} - A61M 2205/3317: Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means - A61N 1/0526: {Head electrodes (A61N1/0551 takes precedence)} - A61N 1/322: {Electromedical brushes, combs, massage devices} - A61N 1/326: {for promoting growth of cells, e.g. bone cells} - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract A device to stimulate a scalp comprises an array of stimulating elements, the stimulating elements arranged along a circumference of at least one wheel, the wheel adapted to roll over the scalp. A method of treating/preventing a hair-condition comprises: subjecting the scalp to at least 200 distinct electrode-scalp contact events during a time-interval of at most one minute and dividable into 5 non-overlapping equal-duration sub-intervals covering the time-interval, method performed such that i. for at least a majority of the electrode-scalp contact events, no electrode of the event enters into the dermis; ii. a duration of each electrode contact event is at most 100 milliseconds; and iii. for each electrode contact event, an electrical current flows between the electrode and the scalp so as to deposit electrode-released ions of a first metal or of a second metal on the scalp, thereby forming a respective metal-ion-deposition island on the user's scalp. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for simultaneous stimulation of a scalp and direct ion-deposition into skin thereof, the device comprising: a. a wheel-array comprising a plurality of wheels that each have a thickness of at most 0.2 mm, the wheels of the wheel-array being parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other, at a spacing of at least 1 mm and at most 5 mm, along a common axis; b. an array of stimulating elements disposed along a respective circumference of each wheel of the wheel-array, each stimulating element comprising or being coated by a metal, each stimulating element being adapted to pierce said skin of said scalp no deeper than a thickness of a dermis; and c. an electrical power source, said stimulating elements coupled to the electrical power source, wherein the wheels of said wheel-array are adapted to roll over said scalp to drive said piercing by said stimulating elements such that: i. upon piercing contact between the stimulating elements and the skin and simultaneously therewith, the electrical power source causes the stimulating elements that are in said piercing contact with the skin to release ions of the metal directly into the skin of the scalp; and ii. the directly-released ions are supplied by the metal of the stimulating element or of the coating thereof so as to consume the stimulating element or the coating thereof. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein a type of ions delivered per stimulating element is controlled by controlling a polarity of voltage of each of the stimulating elements. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein, a first group of stimulating elements of said array comprises a first metal; and a second group of stimulating elements of said array comprises a second metal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein said ions that are released upon said piercing of the skin comprise at least one of copper ions and zinc ions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured to operate according to operating parameters so that an efficiency of a deposition of the ions is enhanced through a dynamic modification of the operating parameters through closed-loop feedback/control. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein (i) the device comprises sensors incorporated in the device and (ii) the device is configured so that a number of ions deposited during treatment is controlled in a closed loop manner by setting an inter-stimulating-element voltage during the treatment based on feedback received from the sensors incorporated into the device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 configured to measure an impedance of the scalp and to compare a current impedance with a previously measured impedance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the device further comprises an encoder operable to count revolutions or partial revolutions of the wheel-array. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one element to vibrate at least one of the stimulating elements. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the electrical power source is an alternating current source that is adapted to operate at a frequency of at most about 500 Hz. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the electrical power source is an alternating current source that is adapted to operate at a frequency of at most about 100 Hz. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the stimulating elements are shaped so as to form a wound in the skin having a cross sectional area of at most 0.01 mm2 upon said piercing of the skin to directly release the ions therein. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method comprising: a. providing the device of claim 1; b. rotating the wheels of the wheel-array to roll the wheels over said scalp to drive said piercing by said stimulating elements such that: i. upon piercing of the skin and simultaneously therewith, the electrical power source causes the stimulating elements to release ions of the metal directly into the skin of the scalp; and ii. the directly-released ions are supplied by the metal of the stimulating element or of the coating thereof so as to consume the stimulating element or the coating thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein each piercing is of a duration of not less than 0.01 seconds and not more than 0.1 seconds.