Oh, patents - Withings connected hairbrush

 Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Why an IoT* connected hairbrush?  Because hair has plenty to do with health. Indeed, this is precisely the reason why Withings, a French consumer electronics company specialized in health devices, has designed a connected hairbrush, in collaboration with Kérastase, a French company specialized in hair care products. 

Hair factors such as dryness, lackluster, brittleness, dry scalp, thinning, excess shedding, and premature graying are all indicators of health that may send you promptly to see a physician. Such factors, especially hair loss, are also tightly bound to self-image, confidence and mood (Dhami, 2021). As a result, thanks to a variety of advanced sensors, the award-winning** Withings connected hairbrush was designed to provide users a host of insights on hair quality, manageability and brushing technique. Personalized information on how to improve and optimize hair care that the user then receives on a Withings app. 

The Withings connected hairbrush invention is recited in a family of European (EP2945509B1), World (WO2014111646A1), French (FR3000877B1) and US patents. The US utility patent member, US10426397B2, titled Informative system using and instrumented and connected hairbrush, was granted on October 1st 2019. The patent was awarded to Cedric Hutchings and Eric Careel, and assigned to Withings, in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France.

The patent discloses a hairstyling tool, equipped with a variety of sensors (movement, gyroscope, optical, tilt, force, electric field, humidity and temperature), a camera, LED lights, and a microphone, together able to collect data on styling gestures, vibration and friction data, magnified scalp and hair data. The hairstyling tool has further means to transmit the collected data via Bluetooth or Wifi, to a smartphone or directly to a server, where the raw, or pre-processed data collected is analyzed, relative to a database of hair/scalp data and the user’s own history. In turn, the hairbrush will provide analysis and feedback to the user via smartphone app.

Specifically, the patent Figure 1, included below, depicts a hairstyling tool 10, comprising a handle or “grip” 11, a body 12, bristles 17, and a transition region 13, between the handle 11, and the body 12. The handle 11 comprises a battery 8 for powering the electronic and electric components of the hairstyling tool 10. The body 12 comprises an electronic control unit 4. The electronic control unit comprises a controller for processing the input/output sensor data, the camera and microphone data. The electronic control unit also comprises a clock to time-stamp data, and a memory for recording raw or pre-processed data collected during hairstyling, prior to sending data to a smartphone or server.

The accelerator and force sensors enable to measure the speed and regularity of hairstyling gestures, as well as the rotation of the brush during gestures, the length of the curve followed from top to bottom of scalp, and the time taken to travel the curve. Thus, the hairbrush measures the variable resistances encountered during hairstyling gestures, assumed to indicate health and/or deficiencies of the hair. The patent Figure 1 further depicts the three dimensional axes X (longitudinal), Y (transverse) and Z (radial) used by the accelerometer and gyroscopes to respectively measure linear accelerations on each of the orthogonal planes, and rotational movement on and about the three orthogonal directions X, Y and Z.

Below, the abstract of the invention is also included, together with an above image of the elegant connected hairbrush and smartphone app. 

Hairstyling tool of the comb or hairbrush type, comprising a handle and a body, an electric battery a force sensor, an electronic unit configured to capture and format signals provided by the sensors, a wireless communication means for transmitting data to a remote entity, by means of which information about the movements executed by the tool and the forces it undergoes can be transmitted to the remote entity, the remote entity being able to send information back to the user of the tool about the hair being styled. (Abstract US10426397B2)

----------

* IoT = Internet of Things. (Marc Weiser in Goetzman, 2023)

** Upon release, the Withings connected hairbrush won the 2017 If Design Award, among many subsequent accolades.  

References
Dhami, L. (2021). Psychology of hair loss patients and importance of counseling. Indian Journal of Plastic  Surgery. Dec 31;54(4):411-415.
doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1741037. PMID: 34984078; PMCID: PMC8719979.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8719979/  
Goetzman, A. (Sept. 12, 2023). Mark Weiser and the Origins of the Internet of Things. Connector Supplier™.
If Design Award 2017 -  Withings smart hair brush. If Design.
https://ifdesign.com/en/winner-ranking/project/withings-smart-hairbrush/203749  
Kérastase (website)
https://www.kerastase-usa.com/  
Withings (website)
https://www.withings.com/us/en/

https://connectorsupplier.com/mark-weiser-and-the-origins-of-the-internet-of-things/

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/

Oh, patents! SimiWeave™

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Winner of 12 awards, including the 2017 Special Recognition Award from the Global Women’s Inventors and Innovators Network (GWIIN), The SimiWeave™, formerly called NewHair, is a really ingenious wig.

Invented by Simi Belo, the SimiWeave™ has a deliberate gap, (a U- shaped opening) through which the user brings out a small section of his or her own real hair. The small section of real hair is then parted to cover the gap in the wig, and by the same token exposes the user’s own roots, scalp, and hairline.  Thus, all of the hair of the wig looks as though it is the user’s own hair! The gap is available to the right, left or center of the wig, thus allowing users to part the small section of their own hair accordingly. 

Belo points out that while regular wigs provide a full head of hair, this is at the expense of realism since none of the hair appears as though it belongs to the user.  

Belo’s invention is recited in a family of 4 patents, including the US utility patent US2007044814 titled NewHair by Simi Belo. The abstract for this US patent is included below with two patent figure drawings, respectively showing the invention wig with the U-shaped gap (Fig. 2), and the wig as it is worn with the user's hair filling the U-shaped gap (Fig. 3).

The NewHair wig features a deliberate gap (3) at the front of the wig (2). Through this gap the wearer brings through his/her own real hair (5), parts and brushes over the wig hair to cover the gap, and in doing so, reveals some of his/her own real hair, natural hairline, scalp and roots (6), so that it looks as if all of the hair is growing out of his/her head. Whether the gap is on the left (7), in the centre (8), or on the right (9), it adds much-needed realism to the traditional wig. This is because traditional wigs use fringes, hair bands and other features to hide the stitching, but in doing so, they conceal the wearer's own roots and hairline, so it is apparent that the hair is not really growing out of the head and therefore the hair is fake. [Abstract US2007044814]

The list of the SimiWeave™ patents is also included below.

• US2007044814 (A1) ― 2007-03-01 - Newhair by Simi Belo 
• USD518604 (S) ― 2006-04-04 – Wig
• WO2005046375 (A1) ― 2005-05-26 - Newhair by Simi Belo
• EP1681950 (A1) ― 2006-07-26 - Wig
• GB2407979 (A) ― 2005-05-18 - A wig (withdrawn)

References

GWIIN - Global Women's Inventors and Innovators network

http://www.gwiin.com/page.php?pid=2&menu=main

SimiWeave™

https://www.simiweave.com

Oh, patents! Elisabide's hair curler (bigoudi)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

Elissabide’s hair curler invention, disclosed in FR1398167 was designed for children’s locks!

These curlers comprise a flexible brass wire. The brass wire is coated in plastic, and then cut into strips, the ends of which are capped ornamentally. 

The scope of the invention extends to all sorts of flexible wire and plastic materials for coating, as well as varying sorts of ornamental caps at both ends of the curler.

As for the term "bigoudi", the CNRS - CNRTL etymological research tracks it to the French terms "bigotère - elle" borrowed from the Spanish term "bigote", meaning "moustache" (as early as the 1600s), used in reference to a small cylindrical strip for curling a moustache. The term "bigoudi" also exists during the 19th century in reference to hair curlers, where the metal strip was covered with leather.... 

Below, a modern-day embodiment of Elissabide's 1965 bigoudi! 

Reference

CNRS - CNRTL - Centre National de Recherches Textuelles et Lexicales

http://www.cnrtl.fr/definition/bigoudi