Systems and methods for harvesting follicular units
AssigneeRestoration Robotics, Inc.
InventorsMohan Bodduluri, Kyle R. Breton, Clifford A. Oostman, Jr., George D. Hermann
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Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for harvesting hair grafts from a body surface utilizing a removal tool comprising first and second elongated bodies. The described systems and methods serve to eliminate and/or at least minimize unnecessary compression of adjacent tissue during the removal process, thereby minimizing damage to the follicular unit being removed, reducing the opportunities for the follicular unit to intersect the path of the harvesting tool, and/or improving the quality of the removed specimen, preferably preserving its integrity.
Claims30
A method of dissecting an individual follicular unit using a multi-part tool assembly comprising coaxially disposed first and second elongated bodies, the method comprising:
- advancing a first elongated body relative to a skin surface such that a distal tip of the first elongated body penetrates the skin surface surrounding a follicular unit and initiates a path;
- advancing a second elongated body relative to the skin surface, such that a distal tip of the second elongated body enters the skin surface following the path initiated by the first elongated body;
- wherein while beneath the skin surface the second elongated body is incrementally advanced in depth in a pulsed manner resulting in overall advancement beneath the skin to dissect the follicular unit, the pulsed manner comprising a succession of alternating advancing and retracting steps, each advancing step having an advancement distance increment and each retracting step having a retraction distance increment, and
- wherein the advancement increments and/or the retraction increments during dissection of the follicular unit vary in distance on at least some of the advancing and/or retracting steps;
- the method further comprising advancing the second elongated body in at least two consecutive advancing steps such that the second elongated body is paused at a depth location of a first of the at least two consecutive advancing steps for a predetermined time before advancing to a second of the at least two consecutive advancing steps.
A method of dissecting an individual follicular unit using an apparatus comprising coaxially disposed first and second elongated bodies, the method comprising:
- advancing a first elongated body relative to a skin surface such that a distal tip of the first elongated body penetrates the skin surface surrounding a follicular unit and initiates a path;
- advancing a second elongated body relative to the skin surface, such that a distal tip of the second elongated body enters the skin surface following the path initiated by the first elongated body;
- wherein the second elongated body comprises a bifurcated structure having a primary lumen coaxially disposed with respect to the first elongated body and communicating through an opening with a larger non-coaxial secondary lumen, the method further comprises withdrawing the first elongated body through the primary lumen such that the distal tip of the first elongated body substantially clears the opening between the primary and the secondary lumen of the second elongated body, and directing the follicular unit into the non-coaxial larger secondary lumen of the second elongated body.
A method of dissecting a follicular unit using an apparatus comprising coaxially disposed first and second elongated bodies, the method comprising:
- advancing a first elongated body relative to a skin surface such that a distal tip of the first elongated body penetrates the skin surface surrounding a follicular unit and initiates a path to a first depth;
- advancing a second elongated body relative to the skin surface, such that a distal tip of the second elongated body enters the skin surface following the path initiated by the first elongated body;
- wherein while beneath the skin surface the second elongated body is incrementally advanced in depth in a succession of advancing steps, the succession of advancing steps includes advancing the distal tip of the second elongated body to an intermediate depth which is below the first depth, stopping advancement and maintaining the second elongated body at the intermediate depth for a predetermined time to allow the follicular unit to at least partially recover from its compressed state and then continue advancing the second elongated body to a second depth at which the follicular unit is substantially dissected, the second depth being below the intermediate depth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.