Oh, patents! Robotic hair transplant

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Got hair? No worries, robotic hair transplant now offers a fast, relatively painless way of harvesting and implanting hair follicular cells. The principle of the system, consisting in the injection of temporary or permanent substances to the cutaneous, subcutaneous or intramuscular tissue regions, applies to tattoos for example, or to fat cells for “lipo-contouring”, even to muscle inhibitors such as Botox® for facial rejuvenation or reconstruction. For hair transplant, it is follicular units comprising 1 to 3, or 4 to 5, follicular cells that are harvested from the patient’s scalp and implanted in the bald areas. What used to be a painstaking manual follicle by follicle process is now automated.

One of approximately a dozen inventions, connected to robotic hair transplant, is recited in US20080167674A1 titled Automated delivery of a therapeutic or cosmetic substance to cutaneous, subcutaneous and intramuscular tissue regions. The invention recited in this patent covers the delivery of multiple sorts of substances (pharmaceutical, cosmetics, cellular) to various targeted tissue locations (dermis, epidermis, fascia and muscle), not necessarily the scalp. Hair follicular cells, as a case in point, have to be delivered precisely into the dermis, or at the interface between the dermis and epidermis.

The invention includes an image-guided robotic arm, with a piercing distal end, able to  (i) pierce the skin surface and penetrate to the desired depth, and (ii) deliver a controlled amount of a substance to the tissue. Examples of substances delivered next too existing hair follicles might include:  hair follicular cells or inductive dermal papilla (sheath) cells, a hair follicle growth factor such as autologous platelet plasma, noncellular pharmaceutical products such as finasteride (Propecia®) or minoxidil (Rogaine®). By way of contrast, pigment ink is delivered in the case of tattoos.

The Robotic arm includes one or more cameras mounted on the arm, a processor for the images captured, and a controller to operate and reposition the robotic arm automatically, based, in part, on the image processing, in view of delivering the substances to other target locations. The robotic arm also has means of specifying the amount of the substances delivered, and the depth of penetration in the skin.

The abstract of this invention is included below.

Automated systems and methods for delivery of a therapeutic or cosmetic Substance into cutaneous, Subcutaneous or intra muscular tissue, wherein an automated (e.g., robotic) arm is maneuvered to position a delivery device proximate a targeted location (e.g., an existing hair follicle, a location for implanting a skinfiller, or a location for intradermal tattoo ink injection) on a patient’s skin Surface; and a substantially automated process is used to cause the delivery device to puncture the skin Surface and penetrate to a desired depth into the tissue at the targeted location, and deliver the Substance therein.[Abstract US20080167674A1]

The Figure 1 patent drawing is also included, where :

"[0072] The drawing depicts an image-guided robotics system 25 including a robotic arm 27 with a delivery tool assembly 30 attached to a distal tool plate 20 of the robotic arm 27. The delivery tool assembly 30 includes a delivery needle (or “cannula”) 36 extending from a tubular body 24, which in turn extends from a delivery tool housing 22 attached to the tool plate 20. The delivery cannula 36 is axially stiff, e.g., made of a hard metal or plastic, and thin-walled to facilitate tissue penetration, and has a beveled, tissue piercing, open distal tip.

[0073] The robotic arm 27 has a base 29 mounted on a stable platform (table) 23. A patient 38 is positioned relative to the robotic arm 27, so that a targeted body surface (in this instance, the patient's scalp) 32 is directly underlying the distal tip 37 of the delivery cannula 36. […] the robotic system 25 includes one or more cameras 28 (two are visible in FIG.1) mounted on the delivery tool housing 22 (which in turn is mounted on the distal end tool plate 20 of the robotic arm 27). A processor (not shown) associated with the robotic system 25 receives and processes images acquired by the one or more cameras. The robotic system 25 includes a controller (also not shown) that is operatively associated with the processor and configured to precisely maneuver the arm 27 in six degrees of freedom based, at least in part, on images acquired by the one or more cameras 28 and processed by the processor." [Extracted from US20080167674A1] 

This FDA-approved robotic hair transplant system is marketed right here in the Bay Area under the tradename ARTAS. It is used locally at such treatment centers as the Silicon Valley Hair Institute. 

References

ARTAS

https://artas.com/

Silicon Valley Hair Insitute

http://siliconvalleyhairinstitute.com/