Hair implantation device using direct needle aspiration

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 present disclosure generally relates to surgical implant devices and surgical methods for implanting hair follicle units into a patient's scalp.

Background Art

[0002] 2. Description of Related Art In preparation for implanting hair follicle units into a patient's scalp, great care must be taken to prevent damage or trauma to the live grafts so that the live hair follicle units will grow reliably within the implantation site. As the art of hair transplantation has advanced to the implantation of grafts composed of individual follicular units, the size of the follicular units is very small, and as a result, damage has become an even greater concern given the increased susceptibility to damage.

[0003] Many steps are required to achieve a successful implantation, from the harvesting and separation of the hair follicle units into individual follicular units, to the loading of the grafts into the implanting device, the actual implantation of the hair follicle units, and the subsequent withdrawal of the implantation needle from the graft site.

[0004] Particularly with regard to damage that can occur during loading of the grafts into the implanting device, U.S. Patent No. 7,144,406, "Implanting Device," describes using a vacuum introduced into the needle through a side opening of the needle to directly aspirate hair follicle units into the needle of the implanting device. However, with such devices, there is a possibility that the grafts can be damaged by a portion of the graft being pushed out through the low-pressure side port, and as a result, a portion of the loaded grafts can clog the side port and be damaged laterally by pulling the needle out during implantation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The purpose of this disclosure is to describe an implantation device that reduces the possibility of graft damage, particularly during the loading step. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment of this specification, The handpiece comprises a sheath attached to one end in the longitudinal direction and a channel to which a vacuum source can be connected; a piston slidably mounted within the handpiece and movable between a rest position and an operating position, and biased to the rest position; a hollow needle detachably attached to the one end in the longitudinal direction of the piston; and a central rod fixed to the handpiece, wherein a chamber communicating with the sheath is defined on the one end in the longitudinal direction of the piston inside the handpiece, and the chamber is to which the vacuum source can be connected. The device for implanting hair fragments is characterized in that it communicates with a channel and also communicates with the outside of the handpiece via an orifice provided in the handpiece, the hollow needle extends into the sheath inside the handpiece, the central rod extends into the hollow needle inside the handpiece, the central rod is configured to have a gap between it and the inner surface of the hollow needle in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and air inside the hollow needle is drawn in from the channel through the gap and chamber.

[0008] According to certain embodiments described herein, the aspirated graft is inserted into an incision in the scalp by the needle while the orifice is closed and the piston extends the needle forward beyond the sheath. Following the 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 the insertion position in the incision. The needle may have a sharply beveled tip configured to form an incision in the scalp for implantation of the hair fragment. The needle may be positioned for rotational motion relative to the handpiece to allow rotation of the bevel relative to the orifice.

[0009] According to certain embodiments described herein, the central rod is adjustablely fixed to the handpiece along its longitudinal direction to adjust the depth of hair implantation.

[0010] According to certain embodiments described herein, the central rod may have a circular cross-section, and the gap therebetween 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 cruciate, polygonal, star-shaped, and hollow cross-section, or a combination of such cross-sections.

[0011] Further objectives and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and consideration of examples. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1]A perspective view showing a first embodiment of the apparatus according to the description of the present specification, in a rest position where the needle is retracted inside the main body of the instrument.

[0013] [Figure 2] A longitudinal sectional view of the instrument of FIG. 1.

[0014] [Figure 3] A detailed view of part A of FIG. 2.

[0015] [Figure 4] A detailed view of part B of FIG. 2.

[0016] [Figure 5] An enlarged sectional view E-E of FIG. 3.

[0017] [Figure 6A] A perspective view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 during operation with the needle extending to the front of the instrument.

[0018] [Figure 6B] A longitudinal sectional view of the instrument of FIG. 6A.

[0019] [Figure 7] An enlarged detailed view of part A of FIG. 6B.

[0020] [Figure 8] An enlarged detailed view of part K of FIG. 6B.

[0021] [Figure 9] An exploded view of the instrument showing different parts of the instrument of FIG. 1.

[0022] [Figure 10A] A perspective view and a front view of the shape of the rod of the apparatus according to the description of the present specification. [Figure 10B] A perspective view and a front view of the shape of the rod of the apparatus according to the description of the present specification. [Figure 10C]These are perspective and front views of the shape of the rod of the apparatus described herein. [Figure 10D] These are perspective and front views of the shape of the rod of the apparatus described herein.

[0023] [Figure 10E] This is a perspective view showing a second alternative embodiment of the fixing of the needle to the piston of the apparatus as described herein.

[0024] [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the apparatus described herein in a resting position, including a push button for axial rotation of the needle.

[0025] [Figure 12] Figure 11 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the device.

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

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

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

[0029] [Figure 16] Figure 11 is a perspective view of the device in operation with the needle extending to the front of the instrument in a position for loading the graft onto the needle by suction.

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

[0031] [Figure 18] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view BB of Figure 17.

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

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

[0034] [Figure 21] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view BB of Figure 20.

[0035] [Figure 22] This is a partial, detailed, magnified longitudinal cross-sectional view of a graft loaded inside a needle in the prior art or conventional technology.

[0036] [Figure 23] This is a partial, detailed, enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of a graft loaded inside the needle of the apparatus described herein.

[0037] [Figure 24A] Figures 1 to 8 are detailed cross-sectional views showing the steps of loading the graft into the needle and positioning the graft within the skin using the apparatus described herein. [Figure 24B] Figures 1 to 8 are detailed cross-sectional views showing the steps of loading the graft into the needle and positioning the graft within the skin using the apparatus described herein. [Figure 24C] Figures 1 to 8 are detailed cross-sectional views showing the steps of loading the graft into the needle and positioning the graft within the skin using the apparatus described herein. [Figure 24D] Figures 1 to 8 are detailed cross-sectional views showing the steps of loading the graft into the needle and positioning the graft within the skin using the apparatus described herein. [Figure 24E] Figures 1 to 8 are detailed cross-sectional views showing the steps of loading the graft into the needle and positioning the graft within the skin using the apparatus described herein. [Figure 24F]Figures 1 to 8 are detailed cross-sectional views showing the steps of loading the graft into the needle and positioning the graft within the skin using the apparatus described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] First Embodiment Figures 1 to 3 show the graft implantation device 1 as described herein, in a resting position where the implantation needle is in a retracted position within the sheath located in front of the device.

[0039] As illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the implantation device consists of a cylindrical tubular instrument or handpiece 1 in which a piston 17 moves between two positions: a resting position or rear position and a forward operating position 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 changes from cylindrical to conical. The space between the piston 17, the wall 7 of the cylinder 2, and the plug 4 defines the chamber 18. The rear plug 5 is perforated along its entire length with an eccentric exhaust port 6 and a threaded axial central hole 6' suitable for securely holding an adjustment screw 112 that extends forward by a very small diameter cylindrical straight central rod 110 that extends axially along the entire length of the handpiece 1. The piston 17 is perforated with a central hole 177 through which the central rod 110 is suitable for free sliding in a sealed manner. The piston 17 can move inside the cylinder 2 between a rear position in contact with the rear cap 5 and a front position in contact with the fastener 17'.

[0040] The piston 17 is extended forward by a cylindrical extension 171 with a smaller outer diameter, at which an axial fixing device of the type of spindle or chuck 175 is positioned for clamping a hollow cylindrical straight needle 13. The piston extension 171 has a space or recess 183 that is open into the chamber 18, allowing the central rod 110 to pass through completely freely and without contact, as will be described later. Similarly, the hollow needle 13 has a constant inner diameter along its entire length that is larger than the diameter of the rod 110, so that the rod can pass through completely freely and without contact, as will be described below.

[0041] A compression return spring 20 is positioned around the extension 171 of the piston 17. The spring 20 rests on an annular, fixed shoulder 152 and holds the piston 17 in a rear resting position that contacts the plug 5 when the device is stationary.

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

[0043] The orifice 8 is designed to form a reduced air pressure zone inside the handpiece and is blocked by the operator's index finger (not shown) in order to move the piston 17 forward inside the chamber 18, as will be described later in Figure 6B.

[0044] The conical plug 4 is axially perforated at its center along its entire length, using a partially threaded hole 10 suitable for fitting a partially threaded tubular sheath 12 to the outside. The sheath 12 is perforated at its center with a hole having the same diameter as the outer diameter of the needle 13, so that the needle can slide within it in a sealed manner. The sheath 12 has a free end 121 intended to come into contact with the skin, as will be described later.

[0045] Figures 3 and 4 are detailed views A and B of Figure 2, showing the positioning of the front and rear ends of the hollow needle 13, respectively, in the retracted or resting position of the device 1.

[0046] In Figure 3, the front end 131 of the chamfered needle 13 is positioned inside the sheath 12, retracted from the free end 121 of the sheath. The straight and cylindrical hollow needle 13, which may have an outer diameter of approximately 1 mm and an inner diameter of 0.8 mm over a length of 50 mm, is configured to move freely in the axial direction in airtight contact with the sheath 12. In this resting 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, an enlarged cross-sectional view along EE in Figure 3, it can be seen that the rod 110 is separated from the inner wall of the needle 13 by an annular space 184. Located between the rod 110 and the needle 13 and extending along the entire length of the needle 13, this space 184 allows air contained inside the device to freely communicate with the front end 131 of the needle 13 within the chamber 18.

[0048] As illustrated in Figure 4, the rear portion 132 of the needle 13 is firmly secured around its circumference by a compression rod 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. The rod 110 is located inside the needle 13 and can be seen separated from the needle by a space 184, as noted above.

[0049] Figures 6A, 6B, 7, and 8 are diagrams of the implantation device described herein, in which the piston 17 is in a forward position within the device and the needle 13 is in an operating position protruding from the outside of the sheath 12.

[0050] The implantation device is connected by a flexible pipe to a vacuum source (e.g., a negative pressure of approximately 800 mbars (not shown)) that operates continuously through channel 9, and occlusion of orifice 8 by the index finger of an "operator (not shown)" causes a sudden depressurization in chamber 18, causing an almost instantaneous forward movement of piston 17 relative to stopper 17' within the device, resulting in a forward movement of needle 13 relative to sheath 12 over an equivalent distance (e.g., approximately 10 millimeters).

[0051] In this operating position, as illustrated in Figure 7, the hollow needle 13 partially protrudes outward from the 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 that can completely accommodate the graft (not shown) over a distance "l2" between the chamfered 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" can be adjusted according to the variable thickness of the skin during operation by screwing the sheath 12 into or loosening the plug 4, which changes from cylindrical to conical, as described above. Furthermore, the length "l2" can be adjusted during surgery by screwing or loosening 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 at the same level, or even slightly further forward relative to the end 121 of the sheath 12, and it should be noted that as a result, when the needle 13 is withdrawn from the sheath 12, the graft can be positioned deeper or shallower in the skin (not shown) as desired by the operator.

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

[0053] The medical procedure demonstrates, for example, that the annular gap space 184 between a rod 110 with a diameter of approximately 0.6 mm and a needle 13 with an inner diameter of approximately 0.8 mm and a length of 50 mm is large enough to transmit a sufficiently large suction force into the space 185, thereby allowing the chamfered end 133 to contact a graft (not shown) with a diameter of approximately 0.8 to 1 mm, and the graft in the space 185 to be easily drawn in and contained when the end 111 of the rod 110 makes contact. 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 intrusion within the space 184 due to the circular, homogeneous, and uniform concentric suction force exerted on the graft. Thus, this mechanism prevents the graft from sticking or being damaged between the rod 110 and the needle 13.

[0054] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of detail K of Figure 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 described herein. The extension 171 of the cylindrical piston has a flat portion or flat surface 174 at its upper part that comes into contact with an annular, fixed shoulder portion 152 located in the middle of the device, having a complementary contour opening, so that the extension 171 can move freely in axial translation within the device without the possibility of rotation. Thus, by locking the piston from rotation, axial rotation of the needle 13 is prevented, and as a result, its bevel 133 can always be positioned in the same predetermined plane relative to the implantation device. In practice, medical procedures have shown that the graft is better stabilized in the skin when the needle 13 is introduced into the skin obliquely to the skin surface with its bevel still facing the skin. This avoids the need for the operator to frequently rotate the device to position the bevel facing the skin, which is a waste of time. The annular, fixed shoulder portion 152 also functions as a forward support point for the spring 20.

[0055] Figure 8 also shows a first method of securing the needle 13 to the piston extension 171 by a clamping spindle 175. In fact, this type of securing allows for rapid replacement of the implanted needle 13 located in the central channel 173 during intervention by screwing the spindle 175 into the threaded end 172 of the extension 171 using a suitable key (not shown) and loosening the screw.

[0056] Figure 9 is an exploded view showing various components of the implantation device according to the embodiment of the present invention described above, more specifically, the means for fixing the needle 13 to the piston 17 using the crimping pin 175 at the threaded end 172.

[0057] Figure 10A shows the shape of a cylindrical rod fitted inside the needle described in Figures 1 to 9, having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the needle for the purpose of maintaining free space between the rod and the needle. Figure 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. Figure 10C shows a rod 110c with a cruciate outer shape. Figure 10D shows a rod with a polygonal outer shape. Other shapes of the rod can be imagined without departing from the scope of this description, as long as the suction force exerted on the graft trapped inside the needle by the rod is homogeneous and symmetrical.

[0058] Figure 10E is a perspective view showing a second mode of rapid attachment of an implanting needle to a piston 17 according to another embodiment of the description herein, in which a hollow cylindrical needle 213 has at its rear a means of a cylindrical or crown-shaped fastener 202 having two opposing longitudinal grooves 203 suitable for axially locking to or snap-fitting to two claws 201 of the same dimensions located on the cylindrical end 200 of the extension 171 of the piston 17, with elastic deformation. Once introduced into the claws 201 and fixed therein, the grooves 203 allow for locking the axial rotation of the needle 213 relative to the piston 17 so as to position the chamfered end of the needle in the same plane facing the skin surface as described above. Such a fastening device has the advantage that the needle can be rapidly removed from the piston during operation by forced withdrawal and replacement thereof with a new needle forcibly reintroduced into the channel 173 of the piston.

[0059] Other Embodiments Figures 11–20 show a second embodiment of the implantation device described herein, further comprising a mechanical means as a push button operated by the operator's finger, which allows for controlled axial rotation of the implantation needle when it is in an operating position ready to aspirate the graft. In fact, medical practice has shown that when the bevel of the needle is oriented facing the operator, it is easier to rapidly aspirate grafts that are already aligned or placed in a line within the needle, for example, on the back of the hand or on gauze.

[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 rotational movements of the wrist that can cause muscle fatigue, taking into account the repetition of the surgical procedure as described below.

[0061] Figures 11 to 13 show the graft implantation device 301 as described herein in a resting position where the implantation needle is retracted into the sheath 12 located in front of the device.

[0062] In these figures, it can be seen that the graft implantation device 301 has all the mechanical and functional properties of the implantation device 1 described above, by adding a push button 302 located at the front of the device instead of the orifice 8, as described in Figure 1. The push button 302 consists of two parts, an outer and an inner part, relative to the implantation device 301. The outer part is cylindrical and tubular, and a certain type of hollow piston 303 is perforated through it by an exhaust port 308 that allows outside air to communicate with the air contained inside the device 301. The hollow piston 303 is configured to move airtightly between two high and low positions within a cylindrical hole 304 formed in the wall 307 of the implantation device 301.

[0063] The inner portion of the push button has a square and curved enlargement or flange 305 suitable for conforming to the internal curvature of the wall 307. The flange 305 has a rack-type lateral extension 315 suitable for conforming to and vertically meshing with the axial gear or pinion 314 of the hollow needle 313 positioned within the axis of the piston 17. The hollow cylindrical needle 313 has a quick-connecting means of a cylindrical or crown 317 at its rear, which is adapted to fit into the end 200 of the piston 17 with a small gap, and is held therefor by two elastic claws 201. Such a fastening means allows the needle 313 to move translationally with the piston 17 within the implantation device 301 while retaining the possibility of free rotation of its axis relative to the piston 17. The orifice 308 of the push button is intended to be blocked by the operator's index finger (not shown) to prevent the needle 313 from moving forward of the device, as described earlier, and will be described in more detail later.

[0064] In Figures 14 and 15, it can be seen that the hollow cylindrical needle 313, having a chamfered front end 333, has in its middle section a small serrated portion or pinion 314 that extends over a distance suitable for engagement when the needle is moved axially and translationally relative to the push button, and remains in contact with the rack 315 of the push button 302. The needle 313 has at its rear section a crown 317 suitable for mating with the end 200 of the piston 17 by locking them together with a small gap, and is held relative to the piston by two elastic claws 201.

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

[0066] Figures 16 to 20 show the graft implantation device 301 as described herein, in an operating position where the piston 17 is in a forward position within the device and the needle 313 protrudes from the outside of the sheath 12.

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

[0068] Figures 19, 20, and 21 show a second step in the operating position in which stronger pressure from the operator's finger on the push button 302 causes its displacement within the instrument by, for example, 2 millimeters, resulting in a displacement of the rack 315 in a lower position, as well as an axial rotation of the pinion 314 of the needle 313 so that the bevel 333 can be directed directly towards 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 higher position it was pressed in by the spring 306, and the needle 313 is rapidly withdrawn from within the instrument by interrupting the vacuum following the opening of the orifice 308, leaving the graft (not shown) positioned in the skin according to the same principle described above in Figure 6B.

[0069] Next, the instrument in the resting position is ready to aspirate the next graft following the same steps and principles.

[0070] Such graft implantation devices, equipped with mechanical means for controlled axial angled rotation of the needle, not only allow for significant time savings, but also reduce the strain on the operator's wrist, especially since it is a repetitive motion that can be reproduced thousands of times in a single surgical session.

[0071] Figures 11 to 20 illustrate the operating principle of the graft implantation device 301 for a right-handed operator, with an angled rotation of the needle of a quarter turn in a 90° clockwise rotation to first present the bevel of the needle facing forward and then oriented downward.

[0072] It has also been considered that a left-handed operator may use the graft implantation device by reversing the position of the push button relative to the instrument so that the rack 315 can engage with 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 downward.

[0073] To adapt the position of the needle's bevel to the variable curvature of the receiving skin area of ​​the head, the degree of needle rotation can also be reduced or increased by pressing the push button to a larger or smaller level.

[0074] Figure 22 illustrating the prior art of the aforementioned U.S. Patent No. 7,144,406 shows that the graft 400 is drawn into the needle 13 through a lateral orifice 62 located within the needle wall, which communicates with a suction space 184' connected to a vacuum source. The graft 400 remains trapped inside the needle by the rod 110. Such a configuration has the disadvantage of causing lateral suction of a portion of the graft 401 through the orifice 62, which can damage the graft on the one hand and constitute a mechanical obstacle to the withdrawal of the needle 13 from the rod 110 on the other hand.

[0075] In contrast, Figure 23 shows that, according to the description herein, the graft 400 is drawn into 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 deformation 401 of the graft 400, this deformation can be negligible on the one hand, as it is perfectly symmetrical in contact with the rod 110, and on the other hand, it does not form a mechanical obstacle to the withdrawal of the needle 13 from the rod 110.

[0076] operation Figures 24A to 24F show different detailed steps for loading the graft into the needle of the apparatus described herein as shown in Figures 1 to 8, and for graft placement into the skin.

[0077] Apparatus 1 as described herein is connected by flexible piping to a vacuum source, for example, a continuously operating electric pump with a sufficient vacuum force of 800 mbars. The apparatus is held by an operator like a pen. In the resting position, the orifice 8 at the front of the apparatus remains open, and the implanted needle 13 remains in a retracted position within the sheath 12. When the orifice 8 is closed by the operator's index finger, a sudden vacuum of air is induced inside the chamber 18, causing both the piston 17 inside the apparatus and the needle 13, which extends outside the tip 121 of the front sheath 12 of the apparatus, to momentarily displace forward.

[0078] As shown in Figures 24A to 24B, the chamfered opening tip 133 of the suction-forming needle is brought into contact with the epidermal portion of the pre-collected graft 400, which is laid out, for example, on the back of the left hand or on a damp gauze, thus having the effect of completely and instantaneously loading the graft into the space 185 of the needle 13. As the orifice 8 remains blocked by the index finger, the instrument is moved to the receiving area of ​​the skin 500, and as shown in Figures 24C to 24D, the needle 13 is fully inserted into the skin until the tip 121 of the sheath 12 touches the skin surface. At that position, the vacuum inside the instrument is interrupted by releasing the orifice 8 by lifting the index finger, and due to the rearward displacement of the piston 17 in the resting position, the graft 400 is simultaneously released from the needle 13, and the needle 13 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, as shown in Figure 24F, and prepared to pick up and position the next graft in the same way.

[0079] Among the advantages of such devices described herein, it is readily apparent that with minimal practice, it becomes possible to directly implant more than 2,000 high-quality grafts into the skin in less than an hour.

[0080] The embodiments illustrated and described herein are intended solely to teach those skilled in the art how to construct and use the disclosure herein. Certain terminology is used for clarity when describing embodiments of the disclosure herein. However, the disclosure herein is not intended to be limited to such selected specific terminology. The embodiments described herein above can be modified or altered without departing from the disclosure herein, as can be understood by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it should be understood that within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the disclosure herein may be carried out in ways other than those specifically described.

Claims

1. A handpiece having a sheath attached to one end in the longitudinal direction and a channel to which a vacuum source can be connected, A piston is slidably mounted within the handpiece, is movable between a resting position and an operating position, and is biased to the resting position. A hollow needle is detachably attached to one end of the piston in the longitudinal direction, The handpiece comprises a central rod fixed to the handpiece, Inside the handpiece, a chamber communicating with the sheath is defined on one longitudinal side of the piston. The chamber is in communication with a channel to which the vacuum source can be connected, and is also in communication with the outside of the handpiece via an orifice provided in the handpiece. The hollow needle extends from the inside of the handpiece into the sheath, The central rod extends from inside the handpiece into the hollow needle, The central rod is configured such that a gap exists between it and the inner surface of the hollow needle in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and air inside the hollow needle is drawn in through the channel via the gap and chamber. A device for implanting hair fragments, characterized by the following features.

2. The hollow needle is configured such that when the piston is in the resting position, its tip is located inside the sheath on the other side in the longitudinal direction from the tip of the central rod, and when the piston is in the operating position, its tip protrudes by a predetermined amount from the sheath beyond the tip of the central rod. The piston is configured to move from the resting position to the operating position when the orifice is closed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein with the orifice closed and the hollow needle protruding, the hair piece is attracted to the hollow needle and inserted into the scalp incision, and thereafter, when the orifice is opened, the hollow needle retracts and the hair piece is held in the insertion position within the incision by contacting the tip of the central rod.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the tip of the hollow needle is a sharp bevel shape configured to form the incision in the scalp for implanting the hair fragments.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the hollow needle is rotatably mounted to the handpiece such that its bevel-shaped tip is rotatable relative to the orifice.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the central rod is fixed to the handpiece so as to be longitudinally adjustable in order to adjust the depth of implantation of the hair fragments.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the central rod has a circular cross-section, and the central rod forms an annular gap between itself and the inner surface of the hollow needle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the central rod has a cross-section consisting of at least one of the following: a cross-shaped, polygonal, star-shaped, and hollow cross-section.

8. In the resting position, the tip of the hollow needle is housed in the sheath, the orifice is closed, negative pressure is formed in the chamber, and when the piston moves to the operating position, the tip of the hollow needle protrudes from the sheath. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the orifice is blocked, the negative pressure in the chamber acts on the hollow needle through the gap, enabling the hair fragment to be drawn into the hollow needle.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the closure of the orifice creates a negative pressure in the chamber, and the negative pressure in the chamber acts in the hollow needle through the gap, enabling the hair piece to be drawn into the hollow needle.

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