Implantation device using direct needle aspiration of hair fragments

Abstract

A device and method for implanting a piece of hair into the scalp of a patient, in which the cross-sectional shape of a rod resting on an implantation needle is configured relative to the needle to communicate a vacuum in a chamber in front of the needle to the interior of the needle, thereby facilitating loading of the piece of hair into the device by direct needle suction of the piece of hair.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] 1.Technical Field The field of the disclosure relates generally to surgical implantation devices and methods for implanting hair pieces into a patient's scalp. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of Related Technology In preparation for implantation of the hair fragment into the scalp of a patient, great care must be taken to prevent damage or trauma to the living graft to ensure growth of a living hair fragment within the implantation site. As the field of hair transplantation techniques has advanced toward implantation of grafts comprised of individual follicular units, damage has become an even greater concern given the extremely small size of the follicular units and their resulting increased susceptibility to damage.

[0003] Many steps are required to achieve successful implantation, from harvesting the hair fragment and separating it into individual follicular units, to loading the graft into the implantation device, to the actual implantation of the hair fragment, and then withdrawing the implantation needle from the graft site.

[0004] In particular, with regard to possible damage during loading of the graft into the implantation device, U.S. Patent No. 7,144,406, entitled "Implantation Device," describes the use of a vacuum introduced into the needle through a side opening in the needle to draw a hair piece directly into the needle of the implantation device. However, such a device can cause damage to the graft by pushing a portion of the graft into the low pressure side port, which can result in a portion of the loaded graft becoming stuck in the side port and being laterally damaged by the withdrawal of the needle during implantation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 7,144,406 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] It is an object of the present disclosure to describe an implantation device that reduces the likelihood of implant damage, especially during the loading step. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment herein, a device for implanting hair pieces includes a handpiece extending along a longitudinal axis, the handpiece having a sheath attached to a forward end thereof and a channel to which a vacuum source is connectable. A piston is slidably mounted within the handpiece and movable between a rest position and an operating position, the piston being biased to a rest position, the piston defining a chamber within the handpiece and forward of the piston, the handpiece having an orifice for venting the chamber to an exterior of the handpiece. A hollow needle is secured to a forward end of the piston and extends into the sheath. A central rod is secured to the handpiece and extends into the hollow needle, the cross section of the rod configured relative to the needle to communicate a vacuum within the chamber to the interior of the needle. In the rear position, the hollow needle is contained within the sheath and closure of the orifice creates a vacuum in the chamber and by moving the piston to an operating position in which it extends the needle forward beyond the sheath, the vacuum in the chamber is communicated through the cross-sectional shape of the rod to draw a section of hair into the needle.

[0008] According to certain aspects described herein, the aspirated graft is inserted into the scalp incision by the needle while the orifice is closed and the piston extends the needle forward beyond the sheath. Following insertion of the graft, the orifice is opened, the piston and needle retract to a resting position, and the rod holds the implanted graft in an insertion position in the incision. The needle may include a sharp, bevel-shaped tip configured to form an incision in the scalp for implantation of the hair piece. The needle may be mounted for rotational movement relative to the handpiece to allow rotation of the bevel relative to the orifice.

[0009] According to certain aspects described herein, the central rod is adjustably secured to the handpiece along its length to adjust the implantation depth of the hair pieces.

[0010] According to certain embodiments described herein, the central rod may have a circular cross section and the gap is an annular gap around the circumference of the central rod. The central rod may have a cross section consisting of at least one of a cross, a polygon, a star and a hollow cross section, or a combination of such cross sections.

[0011] Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description, drawings, and examples. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a device described herein with the needle in a rest position retracted within the body of the instrument.

[0013] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1;

[0014] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a detailed view of portion A of FIG. 2.

[0015] [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a detailed view of portion B of FIG. 2.

[0016] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view EE of FIG.

[0017] [Figure 6A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 in operation with the needle extending to the front of the instrument.

[0018] [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 6A.

[0019] [Figure 7] FIG. 6C is an enlarged detail view of portion A of FIG. 6B.

[0020] [Figure 8] FIG. 6C is an enlarged detail view of portion K of FIG. 6B.

[0021] [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the device of FIG. 1 showing different parts of the device.

[0022] [Figure 10A] 1A and 1B are perspective and front views of a rod configuration of a device according to the present description. [Figure 10B] 1A and 1B are perspective and front views of a rod configuration of a device according to the present description. [Figure 10C] 1A and 1B are perspective and front views of a rod configuration of a device according to the present description. [Figure 10D] 1A and 1B are perspective and front views of a rod configuration of a device according to the present description.

[0023] [Figure 10E] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a second alternative form of fixation of the needle to the piston of a device according to the present description.

[0024] [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a device according to the present description in a rest position, including a push button for axial rotation of the needle.

[0025] [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of FIG.

[0026] [Figure 13] 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view BB of FIG. 12 showing the mechanical relationship between the push button and the needle.

[0027] [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a needle fitted to the device of FIG. 12.

[0028] [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the mechanical relationship between a push button and a needle fixed to the piston of FIG. 12.

[0029] [Figure 16] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 11 in operation with the needle extending to the front of the device in position for loading the implant into the needle by suction.

[0030] [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 16.

[0031] [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an enlarged cross-sectional view BB of FIG.

[0032] [Figure 19] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 11 in operation with the needle extending to the front of the device in position for insertion of the graft into the skin.

[0033] [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 19.

[0034] [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view BB of FIG.

[0035] [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a detailed enlarged partial cross-sectional view of an implant loaded inside a needle in the prior art or conventional art.

[0036] [Diagram 23] FIG. 2 is a detailed enlarged partial cross-sectional view of an implant loaded inside a needle of a device according to the present disclosure.

[0037] [Figure 24A]9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the device described herein as depicted in FIGS. 1-8, showing the steps of loading an implant into a needle and placing the implant into the skin. FIG. [Figure 24B] 9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the device described herein as depicted in FIGS. 1-8, showing the steps of loading an implant into a needle and placing the implant into the skin. FIG. [Figure 24C] 9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the device described herein as depicted in FIGS. 1-8, showing the steps of loading an implant into a needle and placing the implant into the skin. FIG. [Figure 24D] 9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the device described herein as depicted in FIGS. 1-8, showing the steps of loading an implant into a needle and placing the implant into the skin. FIG. [Figure 24E] 9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the device described herein as depicted in FIGS. 1-8, showing the steps of loading an implant into a needle and placing the implant into the skin. FIG. [Figure 24F] 9 is a detailed cross-sectional view of the device described herein as depicted in FIGS. 1-8, showing the steps of loading an implant into a needle and placing the implant into the skin. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] First embodiment 1-3 show an implant device 1 according to the present description in a rest position with the implantation needle in a retracted position within a sheath located at the front of the device.

[0039] As explained in the figures 1 to 5, the implantation device consists of an instrument or handpiece 1 of cylindrical tubular shape 2, inside which a piston 17 is moved between two positions, namely a rest or rear position and a forward working or front position. The handpiece is closed at its rear end by a plug 5 and at its front end by a plug 4, which becomes cylindrical to conical. The space between the piston 17, the wall 7 of the cylinder 2 and the plug 4 defines a chamber 18. The rear plug 5 is drilled over its entire length with an eccentric exhaust hole 6 and a threaded axial central hole 6' suitable for securely holding an adjustment screw 112 extended forward by a cylindrical straight central rod 110 of very small diameter, which extends axially over the entire length of the handpiece 1. The piston 17 is drilled through with a central hole 177 suitable for allowing the central rod 110 to slide freely in a sealing manner. The piston 17 is movable within the cylinder 2 between a rear position in contact with the rear cap 5 and a front position in abutment against a stop 17'.

[0040] The piston 17 is extended forward by a cylindrical extension 171 of smaller outside diameter, at the end of which is arranged an axial fixing device of the type of axle or chuck 175 for clamping the hollow cylindrical straight needle 13. The piston extension 171 has an open space or recess 183 in the chamber 18 so that the central rod 110 can pass therethrough completely freely and without contact, as will be described below. Similarly, the hollow needle 13 has a constant inside diameter over its entire length, which is greater than the diameter of the rod 110, so that said rod can pass therethrough completely freely and without contact, as will be described below.

[0041] A compression return spring 20 is disposed around the extension 171 of the piston 17. The spring 20 rests on an annular fixed shoulder 152 and keeps the piston 17 in a rear rest position in contact with the plug 5 when the instrument is at rest.

[0042] The handpiece 1 is pierced at the front and at the top of its wall 7 near the plug 4 by an exhaust orifice 8 that allows the external ambient air to communicate with the chamber 18. The handpiece also has a rigid tube or nozzle 9 at its lower and middle parts, allowing the air contained inside the chamber 8 to communicate with an external vacuum source by means of a flexible tube (not shown).

[0043] Orifice 8 is adapted to be blocked by the index finger of the operator's hand (not shown) to create an air vacuum inside the handpiece and move piston 17 forward inside chamber 18 as described below in FIG. 6B.

[0044] The conical plug 4 is axially bored at its centre over its entire length with a partially threaded bore 10 suitable for accommodating a tubular sheath 12 partially screwed on the outside. The sheath 12 is bored through its centre with a hole of the same diameter as the outside diameter of the needle 13, so that said needle can slide sealingly therein. The sheath 12 has a free end 121 intended to abut against the skin as will be described below.

[0045] 3 and 4 are details A and B of FIG. 2 showing the positioning of the front and rear ends, respectively, of the hollow needle 13 in the retracted or rest position of the device 1. In FIG.

[0046] In Fig. 3, the front end 131 of the needle 13, which is beveled, is placed inside the sheath 12, retracted from the free end 121 of said sheath. The straight and cylindrical hollow needle 13, which may have an outer diameter of about 1 mm and an inner diameter of 0.8 mm over a length of 50 mm, is configured to be in gas-tight contact with the sheath 12 and to move freely axially. In this rest position, the end 131 of the needle 13 is also retracted relative to the free end 111 of the central rod 110.

[0047] In figure 5, which is an enlarged cross-sectional view along EE of figure 3, it can be seen that the rod 110 is separated from the inner wall of the needle 13 by an annular free space 184. This free space 184, located between the rod 110 and the needle 13 and extending over the entire length of the needle 13, allows the air contained inside the device to communicate freely within the chamber 18 up to the front end 131 of the needle 13.

[0048] 4, the rear portion 132 of the needle 13 is secured about its circumference by a clamping stem 175 to an extension 171 of the piston 17 in a central axial channel 173, allowing for easy and rapid replacement of the needle 13 during surgery, if necessary. It can be seen that the rod 110 is disposed inside the needle 13 and is separated therefrom by a space 184 as noted above.

[0049] 6A, 6B, 7 and 8 are views of an implantable device according to the present description in an operative position with the piston 17 in a forward position within the device and the needle 13 protruding outside the sheath 12. FIG.

[0050] The implantation device is connected by a flexible pipe through channel 9 to a continuously operating vacuum source (e.g., a negative pressure of about 800 mbar (not shown)), and obstruction of orifice 8 by the index finger of the "operator (not shown)" causes a sudden reduction in pressure in chamber 18, causing an almost instantaneous forward movement of piston 17 against stop 17' within the instrument, and consequently a forward movement of needle 13 relative to sheath 12 over a comparable distance (e.g., about 10 millimeters).

[0051] In this operating position, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the hollow needle 13 projects partially outwardly in front of the instrument 1 beyond the end 121 of the sheath 12 over a distance "l1", thereby forming a cylindrical space 185 inside the needle capable of completely accommodating an implant (not shown) over a distance "l2" between the beveled open end 133 of the needle 13 and the end 111 of the rod 110. Note that the distance "l1" corresponds to the length of the needle introduced into the skin. This length "l1" is adjustable according to the variable thickness of the skin during operation by screwing or unscrewing the sheath 12 onto the plug 4, which goes from cylindrical to conical, as described above. It should also be noted that the length "l2" can be adjusted during surgery by screwing or unscrewing the adjustment screw 112 into the rear plug 5 so that the end 111 of the rod 110 can be slightly retracted relative to the end 121 of the sheath 12, or can be at the same level or slightly further forward relative to the end 121 of the sheath 12, so that upon withdrawal of the needle 13 within the sheath 12, the graft is placed deeper or shallower in the skin (not shown), as desired by the operator.

[0052] It should be noted that in this working position, a continuous flow of outside air is generated within the device 1 by circulating it from the open end 133 of the needle 13 within the cylindrical space 185, the annular space 184, the channel 173, the space 183 and the chamber 18, respectively, to the rigid tube 9 connected to a vacuum source (not shown). Thus, in this working position, the needle 13, which is in the "aspirate" state, is ready to suck and fully load inside the space 185 an implant that has been previously placed, for example, on a moist gauze or the back of the hand (not shown) for implantation into the skin.

[0053] Medical practice has shown that the annular gap space 184 between, for example, a rod 110 with a diameter of about 0.6 millimeters and a needle 13 with an inner diameter of about 0.8 millimeters and a length of 50 millimeters is large enough to transmit a sufficiently large suction force into the space 185, such that contacting the beveled end 133 with a graft (not shown) with a diameter of about 0.8 to 1 millimeter can easily suck and contain the graft within the space 185 upon contact of the end 111 of the rod 110. It is also interesting to note that the portion of the graft in contact with the end 111 does not undergo any deformation or asymmetric invagination within the space 184 due to the circular, homogenous, uniform, concentric suction force exerted on the graft. This mechanism therefore prevents the graft from sticking or being damaged between the rod 110 and the needle 13.

[0054] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of detail K of FIG. 6B detailing a means for preventing axial rotation of the piston 17 relative to the cylinder 2 of the implantation device according to one embodiment of the present description. The cylindrical piston extension 171 has at its top a flat or flat surface 174 that comes into contact with an annular fixed shoulder 152 located in the middle of the device, with a complementary contoured opening, so that the extension 171 can move freely in axial translation inside the device without the possibility of rotation. Thus, by locking the piston from rotation, axial rotation of the needle 13 is prevented, so that its bevel 133 can always be located in the same predetermined plane relative to the implantation device. In fact, medical practice has shown that the graft is better stabilized in the skin when the needle 13 is introduced into the skin at an angle to the skin surface with its bevel still facing the skin. This avoids the operator having to frequently rotate the device to position the bevel facing the skin, which is time-consuming. The annular fixed shoulder 152 also serves as a forward support point for the spring 20 .

[0055] 8 also shows a first way of fixing the needle 13 on the extension 171 of the piston by means of a clamping stem 175. In fact, this type of fixation allows a quick exchange during an intervention of the implantation needle 13 placed in the central channel 173 by screwing and unscrewing the stem 175 on the threaded end 172 of the extension 171 using a suitable key (not shown).

[0056] FIG. 9 is an exploded view showing the various components of an implant device according to one embodiment of the present invention described above, and more particularly, the means for securing the needle 13 to the piston 17 using a clamping stem 175 at the threaded end 172.

[0057] FIG. 10A shows the shape of a cylindrical rod fitted inside the needle according to FIGS. 1 to 9, with a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the needle, with the aim of maintaining a free space between the rod and the needle. FIG. 10B shows a modified shape of a cylindrical rod 110b, in which a central hole can be added to increase the vacuum force at the front of the rod. FIG. 10C shows a rod 110c with a cross-shaped external shape. FIG. 10D shows a rod with a polygonal external shape. Other shapes of rods can be imagined without departing from the scope of the description herein, as long as the suction force exerted by the rod on the graft trapped inside the needle is homogenous and symmetrical.

[0058] Fig. 10E is a perspective view showing a second mode of quick attachment of an implantation needle to the piston 17 according to another embodiment of the present description, in which a hollow cylindrical needle 213 has at its rear a means of a cylindrical or crowned fastener 202 with two opposing longitudinal grooves 203 suitable for axial interlocking or snap-fastening with two claws 201 of the same dimensions arranged at the cylindrical end 200 of the extension 171 of the piston 17, with elastic deformation. The grooves 203, once introduced into the claws 201 and fixed therein, make it possible to lock the axial rotation of the needle 213 relative to the piston 17, so as to position the beveled end of said needle in the same plane facing the skin surface as described above. Such a fastening device has the advantage of allowing quick removal of the needle from the piston during operation by forced withdrawal and its replacement by a new needle forcibly reintroduced into the channel 173 of the piston.

[0059] Other embodiments 11 to 20 show a second embodiment of an implantation device according to the present description, characterized in that it further comprises mechanical means as a push button actuated by the operator's finger, allowing a controlled axial rotation of the implantation needle when it is in an operating position ready to aspirate the graft. Indeed, medical practice has shown that it is easier to quickly aspirate a graft that is already aligned or placed in the needle, for example on the back of the hand or on gauze, when the needle bevel is oriented facing the operator.

[0060] Once the graft is loaded into the needle, such a device allows the operator to more easily and quickly reposition the bevel of the needle facing the skin without having to perform wrist rotation movements that can cause muscle fatigue, taking into account repeated surgical procedures as described below.

[0061] 11-13 show an implantation device 301 according to the present description in a rest position with the implantation needle retracted into the sheath 12 at the front of the device.

[0062] In these figures, it can be seen that the implantation device 301 has all the mechanical and functional characteristics of the implantation device 1 described above, with the addition of a push button 302 placed in the front part of the device instead of the orifice 8, as explained in Figure 1. The push button 302 is composed of two parts, external and internal, respectively, with respect to the implantation device 301. The external part is cylindrical and tubular, with a kind of hollow piston 303 pierced therethrough by an exhaust port 308 that communicates the outside air with the air contained inside the device 301. The hollow piston 303 is arranged to move in an airtight manner between two high and low positions in a cylindrical hole 304 formed in the wall 307 of the implantation device 301.

[0063] The inner part of the push button has an enlargement or flange 305 of square and curved shape suitable to fit the internal curvature of the wall 307. The flange 305 has a lateral extension of rack type 315 suitable to fit and become vertically meshed with an axial gear or pinion 314 of a hollow needle 313 arranged in the axis of the piston 17. The hollow cylindrical needle 313 has at its rear a quick-connect means of cylindrical shape or crown 317 adapted to become engaged by fitting with a slight clearance on the end 200 of the piston 17, to which it is held by two elastic claws 201. Such fastening means allows the needle 313 to move in translation with the piston 17 within the implantation device 301, while retaining the possibility of free rotation about its axis relative to the piston 17. The orifice 308 of the push button is intended to be blocked by the index finger (not shown) of the operator in order to immobilize the needle 313 in the front of the instrument as described above, which will be explained in more detail later.

[0064] 14 and 15 it can be seen that a hollow cylindrical needle 313 having a chamfered front end 333 has in its middle part a crenulated portion or pinion 314 which extends a distance suitable for engagement and remains in contact with a rack 315 of the push button 302 when the needle is moved in axial translation relative to said push button. At its rear part the needle 313 has a crown 317 suitable for engaging by slight clearance interlocking with the end 200 of the piston 17 and is held against the piston by two resilient claws 201.

[0065] Such a positioning configuration of needle 313 relative to rack 315 allows for easy orientation of bevel 333 facing a right-handed operator (not shown) in a predetermined initial starting plane relative to the position of the instrument held in the operator's right hand, and in particular relative to the axis of push button 302.

[0066] 16-20 are views of an implant device 301 according to the present description in an operative position with the piston 17 in a forward position within the device and the needle 313 protruding outside the sheath 12. FIG.

[0067] 16, 17, 18 illustrate the first step of this operating position. The instrument 301 is connected by its channel 9 to a vacuum source (not shown), and occlusion of the orifice 308 by the index finger (not shown) of the operator causes a sudden depression in the chamber 18, causing an almost instantaneous forward displacement of the piston 17 in the instrument and, consequently, a forward displacement of the needle 313 relative to the sheath 12 over a comparable distance (e.g., about 10 millimeters). In this intermediate operating position, the needle 313 remains locked in rotation by a rack 315 located in an upper position engaged with the pinion 314 of the needle 313, so that the bevel 333 is still oriented towards the operator. Moreover, in this position, the bevel 333, which is in the suction mode, is more easily placed in contact with an implant (not shown), located, for example, behind the operator's left hand, which is immediately sucked inside the needle 313.

[0068] Figures 19, 20 and 21 show a second step in the operating position, in which a stronger pressure of the operator's finger on the push button 302 causes its displacement inside the instrument, for example by 2 millimeters, resulting in the displacement of the rack 315 in the lower position, as well as the axial rotation of the pinion 314 of the needle 313 so that the bevel 333 can be pointed directly at the skin. In this position, the needle is then introduced into the skin (not shown) and by releasing the operator's finger on the push button 302, the button returns to the high position pressed by the spring 306 and also the needle 313 is rapidly withdrawn inside the instrument by interrupting the vacuum following the opening of the orifice 308, leaving the implant (not shown) positioned perfectly in the skin according to the same principle described above in Figure 6B.

[0069] The instrument in the rest position is then ready to aspirate the next graft following the same steps and same principles, and so on.

[0070] Such an implantation device with mechanical means of controlled axial and angular rotation of the needle not only allows for significant time savings, but also allows for muscle relief for the operator's wrist, especially since it is a matter of repetitive movements that are reproduced thousands of times in a single surgical session.

[0071] In Figures 11-20 the operating principle of the graft implantation device 301 is described for a right-handed operator with an angled rotation of the needle of a quarter turn with a 90° clockwise rotation to present the needle bevel first facing up and then oriented downwards.

[0072] It is also contemplated that the implantation device may be used by a left-handed operator by reversing the position of the push button relative to the instrument so that the rack 315 can engage the pinion 314 on the opposite side and the needle can be rotated counterclockwise to first point the bevel 333 towards the operator and then down.

[0073] It is also possible to reduce or increase the degree of needle rotation by pressing the push button to a greater or lesser level in order to adapt the position of the needle bevel to the varying curvature of the receiving skin area of ​​the head.

[0074] In FIG. 22, which illustrates the prior art of the aforementioned US Pat. No. 7,144,406, it can be seen that the graft 400 is sucked into the interior of the needle 13 through a lateral orifice 62 located in the wall of the needle, which communicates with an aspiration space 184' connected to a vacuum source. The graft 400 remains trapped inside the needle by the rod 110. Such an arrangement has the drawback of causing a lateral sucking of part of the graft 401 through the orifice 62, which on the one hand could damage the graft and on the other hand could constitute a mechanical obstacle to the withdrawal of the needle 13 relative to the rod 110.

[0075] In contrast, in figure 23 it can be seen that according to the description herein, the graft 400 is sucked inside the needle 13 and remains trapped in contact with the rod 110 by the suction space 184 located between the rod 110 and the needle 13. If such a configuration could cause a deformation 401 of the graft 400, this deformation is on the one hand negligible and completely symmetrical in contact with the rod 110 and on the other hand does not form a mechanical obstacle to the withdrawal of the needle 13 relative to the rod 110.

[0076] operation 24A-24F show different detailed steps of loading an implant inside the needle of the device according to the present description depicted in FIGS. 1-8 and placement of the implant into the skin.

[0077] The device 1 according to the present description is connected by flexible tubing to a vacuum source, for example a continuously running electric pump of sufficient vacuum power of 800 mbar. The instrument is held like a pen by the operator. In the rest position, the front orifice 8 of the instrument remains open and the implantation needle 13 remains in a retracted position within the sheath 12. Blocking of the orifice 8 by the operator's index finger induces a sudden air vacuum inside the chamber 18, causing an instantaneous forward displacement of both the piston 17 inside the instrument and the needle 13 extending outside the tip 121 of the front sheath 12 of the instrument.

[0078] 24A-B, the beveled open tip 133 of the needle, which becomes aspirating, is brought into contact with the epidermal portion of a pre-harvested graft 400, for example laid out on the back of the left hand or on a damp gauze, thus having the effect of completely and instantly loading the graft inside the space 185 of the needle 13. With the orifice 8 still being blocked by the index finger, the instrument is moved to the receiving area of ​​the skin 500 and the needle 13 is fully inserted into the skin until the tip 121 of the sheath 12 contacts the skin surface, as shown in FIGS. In that position, the vacuum inside the instrument is interrupted by opening the orifice 8 by lifting the index finger, and due to the rearward displacement of the piston 17 in the rest position, the graft 400 is simultaneously released from the needle 13, which momentarily retracts inside the sheath 12, thus leaving the graft 400 perfectly positioned in the skin, still held by the tip of the rod 111, as shown in Figure 24E. The instrument is then removed from the skin surface, ready to pick up and place the next graft in the same way, as shown in Figure 24F.

[0079] Among the advantages of such a device as described herein, it is readily apparent that with little practice, it is possible to implant over 2000 excellent quality grafts directly into the skin in less than an hour.

[0080] The embodiments illustrated and described herein are intended only to teach those skilled in the art how to make and use the disclosure herein. In describing the embodiments of the disclosure herein, specific terms are used for clarity. However, the disclosure herein is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected. The above-described embodiments of the disclosure herein can be modified or changed without departing from the disclosure herein, as will be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it is to be understood that within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the disclosure herein can be practiced in ways other than as specifically described.

Claims

1. a handpiece extending along a longitudinal axis, the handpiece having a sheath attached to a forward end thereof and a channel to which a vacuum source is connectable; a piston slidably mounted within the handpiece and movable between a rest position and an operating position, the piston being biased to the rest position and defining a chamber within the handpiece forward of the piston in communication with the exterior of the handpiece through an orifice in the handpiece; a hollow needle secured to the forward end of the piston and extending into the sheath; A device for implanting hair pieces, comprising: a central rod fixed to the handpiece and extending into the hollow needle, the cross section of the rod being configured to leave a space between the central rod and the needle that allows the vacuum in the chamber to communicate with the interior of the needle.

2. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the aspirated graft is inserted into the scalp incision by the needle while the orifice is closed, the piston extends the needle forward beyond the sheath, and following insertion of the graft, the orifice is opened, retracting the piston and needle to the rest position, and the rod holds the implanted graft in its inserted position within the incision.

3. 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the needle comprises a sharp, beveled tip configured to create the incision in the scalp for implantation of the hair piece.

4. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the needle is mounted for rotational movement relative to the handpiece to allow rotation of the bevel relative to the orifice.

5. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the central rod is adjustably secured to the handpiece along its length to adjust the implantation depth of the hair pieces.

6. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the central rod has a circular cross section and the vacuum in the chamber communicates with the interior of the needle through an annular gap around the circumference of the central rod.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the central rod has a cross section that is at least one of a cross-shaped, a polygonal, a star-shaped, and a hollow cross section.

8. In the rest position, the hollow needle is contained within the sheath and closure of the orifice creates a vacuum within the chamber and moves the piston to an operating position in which it extends the needle forward beyond the sheath, whereby the vacuum within the chamber is communicated via the cross-sectional shape of the rod to suck the hair piece into the needle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1.

9. Closing the orifice creates a vacuum in the chamber, and the vacuum in the chamber is communicated through a space in the cross-sectional shape of the rod to suck the hair piece into the needle.

10. The apparatus of claim 1.

10. A method for implanting a hair piece, comprising the step of directly aspirating a hair piece into a hollow needle of an implantation device comprising a central rod extending into the hollow needle, the cross section of the rod being configured to leave a space between the needle and the hair piece so as to directly aspirate the hair piece into the needle via vacuum, thereby communicating the vacuum to the interior of the needle.

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