Needle driving mechanism, hair follicle implanting needle assembly, and hair follicle extracting and implanting device

Abstract

The present invention provides a needle driving mechanism, a hair follicle implanting needle assembly, and a hair follicle extracting and implanting device. The needle driving mechanism comprises: a shell, a first end of the shell being detachably connected to the hair follicle implanting needle assembly, and a second end thereof is connected to a first motor at the outside; a driving shaft comprising a hollow rotating shaft part and a driving lead screw and configured to drive a first inner needle to move towards a first outer needle of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly so as to push a hair follicle to be implanted into a hollow part of the first outer needle; and the first motor configured to drive, by means of the shell, the first outer needle carrying the hair follicle in the hollow part thereof and the first inner needle to pierce into a first skin tissue of an object to be subjected to implanting and drive the first outer needle to exit alone from the first skin tissue so as to implant the hair follicle into the first skin tissue.

Description

Needle drive mechanism, hair follicle implantation needle assembly, and hair follicle extraction and implantation device Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a needle drive mechanism, a hair follicle implantation needle assembly, and a hair follicle extraction and implantation device. Background Art

[0002] With increasing stress in work and life, the incidence of hair loss is increasing year by year, and is trending towards younger people. Surgical repair of localized hair loss has become a common treatment method. Hair transplantation can not only treat androgenic alopecia, but can also be used to treat scalp scars, receding hairlines, and vitiligo in the hairline.

[0003] Existing hair follicle transplantation / extraction surgeries primarily rely on doctors manually removing healthy hair follicles from one area and then transplanting them to another area in need of hair. This is generally inefficient and requires extremely high precision and proficiency from the doctor. Insufficient precision can lead to reduced follicle survival rates and inconsistent growth directions. Furthermore, because existing hair follicle extraction and transplantation surgeries require two separate sets of surgical instruments with corresponding functions, not only does this incur high equipment costs, but the switching of surgical instruments can further reduce surgical efficiency.

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the existing technology, there is an urgent need in this field for a hair follicle transplantation device for realizing automatic transplantation of hair follicles, so as to improve the efficiency of hair follicle transplantation surgery and the consistency of the direction of transplanted hair follicles, and preferably realize the reuse of hair follicle extraction and transplantation functions, so as to reduce the instrument cost of hair follicle extraction and transplantation surgery and improve its surgical efficiency.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The following is a brief summary of one or more aspects to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all conceivable aspects and is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that will be provided later.

[0007] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a needle drive mechanism, a hair follicle implantation needle assembly, and a hair follicle extraction and implantation device, which can realize automatic implantation of hair follicles to improve the efficiency of hair follicle implantation surgery and the consistency of the implanted hair follicle direction, and preferably realize the reuse of hair follicle extraction and implantation functions to reduce the instrument cost of hair follicle extraction and implantation surgery and improve its surgical efficiency.

[0008] Specifically, the needle driving mechanism provided according to the first aspect of the present invention includes: a shell, a first end of which is detachably connected to the hair follicle implanting needle assembly, and a second end of which is connected to an external first motor; a driving shaft, including a hollow rotating shaft portion and a driving screw, wherein the inner side of the rotating shaft portion is provided with an internal thread for rotatably connecting to the driving screw, and the first end of the driving screw is detachably connected to the tail end of the first inner needle of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly extending into the shell and the first end of the rotating shaft portion, so as to drive the first inner needle to move toward the first outer needle of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly to push the hair follicle to be implanted into the hollow part of the first outer needle; and the first motor is used to drive the first outer needle through the shell to carry the hair follicle in the hollow part and the first inner needle into the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted, and drive the first outer needle to withdraw from the first skin tissue alone to implant the hair follicle into the first skin tissue.

[0009] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the needle drive mechanism also includes a second motor, whose stator coil is arranged on the inner side of the shell, and whose rotor is arranged on the outer side of the drive shaft, for driving the drive shaft to rotate in the shell.

[0010] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, a gear portion is provided at the first end of the drive shaft, wherein the gear portion extends into the mounting groove of the follicle bin mounting seat of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly, driving the rack of the follicle bin of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly to drive the multiple storage units distributed along it to pass one by one between the first outer needle and the first inner needle, so as to implant the corresponding hair follicles in each of the storage units one by one.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first end of the drive shaft is detachably connected to the tail end of the second outer needle of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly, the first motor drives the hollow tip of the second outer needle to penetrate into the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted to surround the target hair follicle, and the second motor drives the second outer needle to rotate around the axis via the drive shaft to separate the second skin tissue around the target hair follicle.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the driving screw is a hollow structure, and its first end is detachably connected to the tail end of the hollow second inner needle of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly, and the second inner needle is connected to an external negative pressure device via the hollow structure to cooperate with the second outer needle that penetrates the second skin tissue to extract the target hair follicles, and / or extract waste liquid near the tip of the second outer needle.

[0013] In addition, the hair follicle implantation needle assembly provided according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: a follicle bin mounting seat, which is provided with a mounting groove for mounting the follicle bin and is detachably connected to the needle driving mechanism as described in the first aspect of the present invention; a hollow first outer needle, the tail end of which is fixedly connected to the follicle bin mounting seat and aligned with the first end of the follicle bin mounted in the mounting groove, and is used to, under the drive of the first motor of the needle driving mechanism, carry the hair follicle in the hollow part and the first inner needle into the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted, and withdraw from the first skin tissue separately to implant the hair follicle into the first skin tissue; and the first inner needle, the tail end of which is detachably connected to the driving screw of the needle driving mechanism, and the tip of which is aligned with the second end of the follicle bin mounted in the mounting groove, and is used to, under the drive of the driving screw, make axial movement toward the first outer needle, pass through the follicle bin, and push the hair follicle therein into the hollow part of the first outer needle.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the hair follicle implantation needle assembly is characterized by further comprising: the hair follicle storage chamber includes a rack and a plurality of storage units distributed along the rack. The mounting slot includes a first space for accommodating the gear portion of the needle drive mechanism, a second space for accommodating the rack, and a third space for accommodating at least one of the storage units. Driven by the gear portion, the rack drives the plurality of storage units to pass between the first outer needle and the first inner needle one by one, thereby implanting the corresponding hair follicles in each storage unit one by one.

[0015] In addition, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device provided according to the third aspect of the present invention includes: the needle drive mechanism as described in the first aspect of the present invention, the rear end of which is connected to the robotic arm to adjust its own posture, and the front end of which is detachably connected to the hair follicle extraction needle assembly to extract hair follicles from the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted, or detachably connected to the hair follicle implantation needle assembly to implant hair follicles in the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted; the hair follicle extraction needle assembly includes a hollow second outer needle and a hollow second inner needle, wherein the second outer needle is driven by the first motor of the needle drive mechanism to penetrate the second skin tissue to surround the target hair follicle , and rotates around its drive axis under the drive of the second motor of the needle drive mechanism to separate the second skin tissue around the target hair follicle; and the hair follicle implantation needle assembly includes a hollow first outer needle and a solid first inner needle, wherein the first inner needle moves toward the first outer needle under the drive of the drive screw of the needle drive mechanism to push the hair follicle to be implanted into the hollow part of the first outer needle, and the first outer needle, driven by the first motor, carries the hair follicle in the hollow part and the first inner needle into the first skin tissue, and withdraws from the first skin tissue alone to implant the hair follicle into the first skin tissue.

[0016] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the tip of the second outer needle is provided with a serrated structure to enhance its ability to separate the second skin tissue.

[0017] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device also includes: a frame, at least for mounting the needle drive mechanism, and connecting it to the robotic arm via a flange; a light source system, facing the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted or the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted to provide lighting thereto; a camera, aimed at the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted or the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted via a viewfinder to capture images of hair follicles thereof; the viewfinder is used to adjust the focal length, aperture and / or depth of field of the camera; and a controller, acquiring the captured hair follicle images via the camera, and controlling the needle drive mechanism to drive the hair follicle extraction needle assembly to extract hair follicles from the second skin tissue, or controlling the needle drive mechanism to drive the hair follicle implantation needle assembly to implant hair follicles into the first skin tissue, based on the hair follicle images. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] The above features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar related properties or characteristics may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0019] FIG1 shows a schematic structural diagram of a hair follicle extraction and implantation system according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0020] FIG2 shows a schematic structural diagram of a hair follicle extraction and implantation device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0021] FIG3 shows a schematic structural diagram of a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] FIG4A shows an exploded schematic diagram of a hair follicle extraction needle assembly and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] FIG4B shows a schematic diagram of a combination of a hair follicle seed extraction component and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] FIG5A shows a schematic structural diagram of a sealing member according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0025] FIG5B shows a schematic structural diagram of a hair follicle extraction needle assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0026] FIG5C shows a schematic diagram of the needle tip structure of the second outer needle provided according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0027] FIG6A shows an exploded schematic diagram of a hair follicle implantation needle assembly and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] FIG6B shows a schematic diagram of a combination of a hair follicle implantation needle assembly and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0029] FIG7A shows a schematic structural diagram of a hair follicle implantation inner needle according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] FIG7B shows a schematic structural diagram of an external needle for hair follicle implantation according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0031] FIG8 shows a schematic structural diagram of a hair follicle chamber mounting seat according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] FIG9 shows a schematic diagram of a process of hair follicle transplantation according to some embodiments of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following specific embodiments illustrate the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this embodiment. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the embodiment is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0034] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "horizontal," and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood to refer to the orientations depicted in that section and the accompanying drawings. These relative terms are used solely for convenience of description and do not necessarily imply that the devices described herein must be manufactured or operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0036] It will be understood that although the terms "first," "second," "third," etc. may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers, and / or portions, these components, regions, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are merely used to distinguish different components, regions, layers, and / or portions. Thus, a first component, region, layer, and / or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second component, region, layer, and / or portion without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0037] As mentioned above, existing hair follicle extraction and transplantation surgeries primarily rely on doctors manually removing healthy hair follicles from one area and then transplanting them to another area where hair is needed. This is generally inefficient and places extremely high demands on the doctor's precision and proficiency. Insufficient precision can lead to reduced follicle survival rates and inconsistent growth directions. Furthermore, because existing hair follicle extraction and transplantation surgeries require two separate sets of surgical instruments with corresponding functions, not only does this incur high equipment costs, but the need to switch surgical instruments further reduces surgical efficiency.

[0038] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a needle drive mechanism, a hair follicle implantation needle assembly, and a hair follicle extraction and implantation device, which can realize automatic implantation of hair follicles to improve the efficiency of hair follicle implantation surgery and the consistency of the implanted hair follicle direction, and preferably realize the reuse of hair follicle extraction and implantation functions to reduce the instrument cost of hair follicle extraction and implantation surgery and improve its surgical efficiency.

[0039] In some non-limiting embodiments, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device provided in the third aspect of the present invention can be configured in a hair follicle extraction and implantation system, which is equipped with the above-mentioned needle drive mechanism provided in the first aspect of the present invention, the hair follicle implantation needle assembly provided in the second aspect of the present invention, and a hair follicle extraction needle assembly.

[0040] First, please refer to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a hair follicle extraction and implantation system according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a hair follicle extraction and implantation device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the hair follicle extraction and implantation system 10 provided by the present invention may be configured with a host 10 and the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 provided by the third aspect of the present invention. The host 10 may further include modules such as a chassis 11, a display screen 12, and a robotic arm 13. The chassis 11 may further integrate power and control components such as a power module, a controller, memory, a processor, and communication data cables. The display screen 12 is connected to the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 via the chassis 11 and the robotic arm 13, and is used to capture and display hair follicle images captured by its camera for reference by the surgeon during surgery. The robotic arm 13 includes, but is not limited to, an auxiliary robotic arm 13 of a large vertical medical device such as a hair follicle extraction system, or other similar device capable of height, direction, and angle adjustment. The first end of the robotic arm 13 is mounted to the chassis 11, and the second end is connected to the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20. The robotic arm 13 is used to move the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 to a corresponding position and / or adjust it to a corresponding posture according to operating instructions, allowing the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 to perform hair follicle extraction and / or implantation operations.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 may include a frame 201, a light source 202, a camera 203, a viewfinder 204, a flange 205, a hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061, a hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062, a needle drive mechanism 207, motors 208~210 and a motor driver 211.

[0043] Specifically, the frame 201 is used to install and support components such as the light source 202, camera 203, view mirror 204, slide rail (not marked), needle drive mechanism 207, motors 208~210, and motor driver 211, and is connected to the robot arm 13 via flange 205.

[0044] The light source system 202 is directed toward the skin tissue of the surgical subject, including but not limited to the first skin tissue of the subject to be implanted and / or the second skin tissue of the subject to be harvested, to provide illumination for the binocular vision system's camera 203. The camera 203, through a viewing mirror 204, is aimed at the subject's skin tissue to capture image data of hair follicles and provide information such as the location and health status of the hair follicles to the surgeon and / or the automated surgical controller. The viewing mirror 204, located in front of the camera 203, is used to adjust the camera's focus, aperture, and / or depth of field.

[0045] The slide rail (not shown) extends along an axis toward or away from the object being operated. The needle drive mechanism 207 is mounted to the frame 201 via the slide rail. A hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 or a hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062 is optionally mounted on the end of the mechanism that is closest to the object being operated. A first motor 208 is also mounted to the frame 201. Its output end is connected to the housing of the needle drive mechanism 207 via a stepper screw. Driven by a motor driver 211, the first motor 208 drives the needle drive mechanism 207 and the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 or the hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062 thereon to translate along the slide rail toward or away from the object being operated.

[0046] In this way, the controller can obtain the hair follicle image captured by the camera 203 and transmit it to the above-mentioned display screen 12, thereby controlling the needle driving mechanism 207 to drive the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 to extract hair follicles from the second skin tissue and / or control the hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062 to implant hair follicles into the first skin tissue according to the doctor's operating instructions and / or the operating instructions automatically generated according to the hair follicle image.

[0047] Please further refer to FIG. 3 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0048] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 , the needle drive mechanism 207 provided in the first aspect of the present invention is configured with a housing 31 , a drive shaft 32 , a first motor, and a second motor.

[0049] Specifically, the first end of the housing 31 is provided with an opening for detachably connecting the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 or the hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062, and the second end thereof is connected to the above-mentioned first motor 208 to drive the connected hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 or the hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062 to move in a direction close to or away from the operation object.

[0050] The drive shaft 32 comprises a hollow shaft portion and an internal drive screw 321. The outer side of the shaft portion is connected to the inner side of the housing 31 via at least one set of angular contact deep groove ball bearings 34 to prevent downward radial deformation due to gravity, thereby improving the operating accuracy of the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 and reducing additional trauma to the patient caused by radial vibration of the needle assembly during rotation.

[0051] Furthermore, the inner side of the shaft portion may be provided with an internal thread, which is rotatably connected to the external thread on the outer side of the drive screw 321, so that the drive screw 321 is driven to translate toward or away from the operation object through the mutual rotation between the shaft portion and the drive screw 321.

[0052] In addition, the driving screw 321 can preferably be a hollow structure, and its first end can be detachably connected to the tail end of the hollow second inner needle of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2601, and the second inner needle is connected to an external negative pressure device such as a vacuum pump through its own hollow structure.

[0053] Furthermore, the inner side of the first end of the driving screw 321 can be provided with an internal thread, which is used to detachably connect to the external thread on the outer side of the tail end of the second inner needle of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061, or the external thread on the outer side of the tail end of the first inner needle of the hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062, so as to drive the connected second inner needle or first inner needle to move in a direction close to or away from the operation object.

[0054] In addition, the second motor can be a frameless motor, with its stator coil 331 disposed inside the housing 31 and its rotor 332 disposed outside the rotating shaft portion of the drive shaft 32. The motor is configured to generate a rotating magnetic field on the rotor 332 by supplying a driving current to the stator coil 331, thereby driving the rotating shaft portion of the drive shaft 32 to rotate within the housing 31. By selecting a frameless motor to drive the rotation of the drive shaft 32, the present invention reduces the volume of space occupied by the second motor, facilitating the miniaturization and lightweight design of the needle drive mechanism 207. Furthermore, the central area along the axis within the housing 31 is freed up, thereby realizing a multifunctional rotating shaft design that combines rotational drive, axial drive, and vacuum negative pressure.

[0055] Furthermore, the first end of the driving shaft 32 may be provided with a gear portion 322 for extending into the mounting groove of the hair follicle bin mounting seat of the installed hair follicle implanting needle assembly 2602 to drive the rack of the hair follicle bin of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly 2602 .

[0056] The following describes the operating principles of the aforementioned needle drive mechanism 207, hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061, hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062, and hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20, in conjunction with several exemplary embodiments of the hair follicle extraction and implantation method. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these exemplary embodiments of the hair follicle extraction and implantation method are merely non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, intended to clearly illustrate the main concepts of the present invention and provide specific solutions for ease of implementation. They are not intended to limit the full functionality or operation of the needle drive mechanism 207, hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061, hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062, and hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20. Similarly, the needle drive mechanism 207, hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061, hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062, and hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 are merely non-limiting embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the execution entities or order of the steps in these hair follicle extraction and implantation methods.

[0057] Please refer to Figures 4A-4B and 5A-5C. Figure 4A shows an exploded schematic diagram of a hair follicle extraction needle assembly and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4B shows an assembled schematic diagram of a hair follicle extraction needle assembly and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5A shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a seal according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5B shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a hair follicle extraction needle assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5C shows a schematic diagram of the needle tip structure of a second outer needle according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B and FIG. 5A to FIG. 5C , the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 provided by the present invention includes a hollow second inner needle 41 , a hollow second outer needle 42 , a sealing member 43 and an air tube 44 .

[0059] As shown in Figures 4A to 4B and Figure 5A, during the installation of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061, the technician can first fix the tail end of the second inner needle 41 to the first end of the above-mentioned driving screw 321 via the seal 42, and then connect the second inner needle 41 to an external negative pressure device such as a vacuum pump via the flexible air tube 44 passing through the hollow structure inside it.

[0060] Furthermore, the outer side of the tail end 421 of the second outer needle 42 can be provided with an external thread, while the inner side of the first end of the drive shaft 32 can be provided with an internal thread. After the second inner needle 41 is installed, the technician can fix the tail end 421 of the second outer needle 42 to the first end of the drive shaft 32 through a threaded connection, thereby tightening the needle and preventing it from loosening.

[0061] In addition, as shown in Figures 4A to 4B and Figure 5B, the tail end 421 of the second outer needle 42 can preferably have a conical surface structure, and the first end of the drive shaft 32 can be fixed by positioning it with a tapered hole, thereby utilizing the advantage of the high centering accuracy of the tapered surface to effectively reduce the radial runout tolerance of the second outer needle 42 during rotation, thereby reducing the additional trauma to the patient caused by radial jitter.

[0062] In addition, as shown in FIG5C , the tip of the second outer needle 42 may preferably be provided with a sawtooth structure 422 , which can quickly rupture the skin tissue around the hair follicle and separate from the hair follicle under the drive of the second motor rotating at high speed.

[0063] Thus, during the hair follicle extraction process, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can first determine the target hair follicle to be extracted based on the hair follicle image captured by the camera 203, and then transfer the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 to the corresponding position and / or adjust it to the corresponding posture via the robotic arm 13. The first motor 208 then drives the housing 31 to translate along the slide rail, driving the hollow tip of the second outer needle 42 to penetrate the second skin tissue of the subject to be extracted, thereby surrounding the target hair follicle. The hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can then control the operation of the second motor, driving the second outer needle 42 to rotate around its axis at high speed via the drive shaft 32, thereby separating the target hair follicle from the surrounding second skin tissue. The hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can then control the operation of the third motor 209 connected to the drive screw 321, driving the second inner needle 41 forward into the hollow portion of the second outer needle 42 via the drive screw 321. The negative pressure provided by the external negative pressure device extracts waste tissue fluid near the tip of the second outer needle 42 and / or absorbs the separated target hair follicle. Finally, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can push the housing 31 to translate in the opposite direction along the slide rail via the first motor 208, driving the second inner needle 41 and the second outer needle 42 to synchronously leave the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted to complete the extraction of the target hair follicles.

[0064] Furthermore, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can also extract target hair follicles and store them in the hair follicle storage of the hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062 for subsequent hair follicle implantation operations, and continue to determine new target hair follicles, and repeat the above-mentioned hair follicle extraction process to extract and store the next hair follicle. The specific process is similar to that of the above-mentioned embodiment and will not be repeated here.

[0065] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-mentioned embodiment of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 and the hair follicle extraction operation is only a non-limiting implementation method provided by the present invention, which is intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the present invention and provide some specific solutions that are convenient for the public to implement, rather than to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0066] Please refer to Figures 6A-6B, 7A-7B, and 8. Figure 6A shows an exploded schematic diagram of a hair follicle implantation needle assembly and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 6B shows an assembled schematic diagram of a hair follicle implantation needle assembly and a needle drive mechanism according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 7A shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an inner needle for hair follicle implantation according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 7B shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an outer needle for hair follicle implantation according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 8 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of a hair follicle storage mounting base according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0067] As shown in Figures 6A-6B, 7A-7B, and 8, the hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2062 provided in the second aspect of the present invention includes a solid first inner needle 61, a hollow first outer needle 62, and a hair follicle reservoir mounting base 63. The outer side of the tail end of the first inner needle 61 may be provided with external threads. After removing the hair follicle extraction needle assembly 2061 to restore the structure of the needle drive mechanism 207 shown in Figure 3, a technician can detachably connect the tail end of the first inner needle 61 to the internal threads on the inner side of the first end of the drive screw 321 via the external threads, thereby driving the first inner needle 61 to translate toward or away from the operating object via the drive screw 321.

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6A-6B, 7B, and 8, the tail end of the first outer needle 62 may be provided with a first connection structure adapted to the first end of the follicle compartment mounting seat 63, while the first end of the housing 32 may be provided with a second connection structure adapted to the second end of the follicle compartment mounting seat 63. After the first inner needle 61 is installed, a technician may first securely connect the tail end of the first outer needle 62 to the first end of the follicle compartment mounting seat 63 via the first connection structure, and then detachably connect the second end of the follicle compartment mounting seat 63 to the housing 31 of the needle drive mechanism 207 via the second connection structure, thereby securing the first outer needle 62 to the housing 31 of the needle drive mechanism 207 via the follicle compartment mounting seat 63.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in FIG6A and FIG8 , the follicle storage mount 63 is provided with a mounting slot for mounting the follicle storage 64. The follicle storage 64 includes a rack 641 and a plurality of storage units 642 distributed along the rack 641, wherein each storage unit 642 can be spaced 2 to 3 mm apart. Correspondingly, the mounting slot includes a first space for accommodating the gear portion 322 of the needle drive mechanism 207, a second space for accommodating the rack 641, and a third space for accommodating at least one storage unit 642.

[0070] Please further refer to FIG9 , which shows a schematic flow chart of hair follicle transplantation according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0071] As shown in FIG9 , during hair follicle implantation, a technician can first install the follicle bin 64 into the mounting slot of the follicle bin mounting base 63, so that the gear portion 322 at the first end of the drive shaft 32 contacts the rack 641 of the follicle bin 64, aligning the first end of a storage unit 642 of the follicle bin 64 with the tail end of the first outer needle 62, and aligning the second end of the storage unit 642 with the tip of the first inner needle 61. The hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can then control the third motor 209 connected to the drive screw 321 to operate, driving the first inner needle 61 forward through the aligned storage unit 642 via the drive screw 321, and within a time period of T1 = 0.5 seconds, the hair follicle 91 to be implanted in the storage unit 642 is pushed into the hollow portion of the first outer needle 62. Thereafter, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can determine the target location where the hair follicles are to be implanted on the first skin tissue 92 of the subject to be implanted based on the hair follicle image captured by the camera 203, and transfer the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 to the corresponding location and / or adjust it to the corresponding posture via the robotic arm 13. Thereafter, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can drive the housing 31 to translate along the slide rail via the first motor 208, and within a time period of T2 = 0.75s, drive the first outer needle 62, carrying the hair follicle 91 in its hollow portion, and the first inner needle 61 to penetrate the first skin tissue 92 of the subject to be implanted. The housing 31 can then be driven by the first motor 208 to translate in the opposite direction along the slide rail, and within a time period of T3 = 0.75s, drive the first outer needle 62 to leave the first skin tissue 92 of the subject to be implanted alone, while leaving the first inner needle 61 in the first skin tissue 92 of the subject to be implanted, thereby preventing the hair follicle 91 from being carried out of the first skin tissue 92 of the subject to be implanted along with the departure of the first outer needle 62. Afterwards, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can control the third motor 209 connected to the driving screw 321 to run in reverse, and drive the first inner needle 61 to withdraw backward from the first skin tissue 92 of the object to be implanted through the driving screw 321 within the time T4 = 0.5s, thereby completing the automatic implantation of a hair follicle 90 in an extremely short time of T = 2.5s.

[0072] Furthermore, for the hair follicle bin 64 shown in Figure 8, which includes multiple storage units 642, the hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 can also control the second motor to rotate slowly after completing the implantation of the hair follicles 90, and drive the rack 641 of the hair follicle bin 64 via the gear portion 322 of the drive shaft 32, so as to drive the multiple storage units 642 to pass between the first inner needle 304 and the first inner needle 303 one by one, and repeat the process shown in Figure 9 above, so as to automatically implant the corresponding hair follicles in each storage unit 642 one by one at a speed of 0.4 per second, and ensure that the angles of the implanted hair follicles are consistent.

[0073] In summary, the needle drive mechanism 207, hair follicle implantation needle assembly 2601, and hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 provided by the present invention can achieve automatic hair follicle implantation and effectively improve implantation consistency. Furthermore, by designing a simple and compact compatible connection structure, the needle drive mechanism 207 and hair follicle extraction and implantation device 20 provided by the present invention can further achieve the reuse of hair follicle extraction and implantation functions, thereby effectively saving the instrument costs of hair follicle extraction and implantation surgery and improving the efficiency of the operation.

[0074] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of acts for simplicity of explanation, it is to be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the acts, as some acts may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other acts from those illustrated and described herein or not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art according to one or more embodiments.

[0075] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A needle drive mechanism, characterized in that: include: A housing, a first end of which is detachably connected to the hair follicle extraction needle assembly in a hair follicle extraction condition and detachably connected to the hair follicle implantation needle assembly in a hair follicle implantation condition, and a second end of which is connected to an external first motor; A driving shaft, comprising a hollow rotating shaft portion and a hollow driving screw, wherein the inner side of the rotating shaft portion is provided with an internal thread for rotatably connecting the driving screw, and the first end of the driving screw is detachably connected to the tail end of the first inner needle of the hair follicle implantation needle assembly extending into the housing and the first end of the rotating shaft portion under the hair follicle implantation working condition, and is used to drive the first inner needle to move toward the first outer needle of the hair follicle implantation needle assembly to push the hair follicle to be implanted into the hollow portion of the first outer needle, and is detachably connected to the tail end of the hollow second inner needle of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly under the hair follicle extraction working condition, and the second inner needle is connected to an external negative pressure device via the hollow driving screw, so as to cooperate with the second outer needle inserted into the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted to extract the target hair follicle, and / or extract the waste liquid near the tip of the second outer needle; as well as The first motor is used to drive the first outer needle to carry the hair follicle in the hollow part and the first inner needle into the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted through the housing under the hair follicle implantation condition, and drive the first outer needle to withdraw from the first skin tissue alone to implant the hair follicle into the first skin tissue.

2. The needle drive mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: The second motor has a stator coil disposed on the inner side of the housing and a rotor disposed on the outer side of the drive shaft, and is used for driving the drive shaft to rotate in the housing.

3. The needle drive mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: A gear portion is provided at the first end of the driving shaft, wherein the gear portion extends into the mounting groove of the hair follicle bin mounting seat of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly, and drives the rack of the hair follicle bin of the hair follicle implanting needle assembly to drive a plurality of storage units distributed along the rack to pass between the first outer needle and the first inner needle one by one, so as to implant the corresponding hair follicles in each of the storage units one by one.

4. The needle drive mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first end of the driving shaft is detachably connected to the tail end of the second outer needle of the hair follicle extraction needle assembly in the hair follicle extraction working state. The first motor drives the hollow tip of the second outer needle to penetrate into the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted to surround the target hair follicle. The second motor drives the second outer needle to rotate around the axis via the driving shaft to separate the second skin tissue around the target hair follicle.

5. A hair follicle implantation needle assembly, characterized in that: include: A hair follicle bin mounting seat, wherein a mounting groove for mounting the hair follicle bin is provided, and can be detachably connected to the The needle drive mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a first hollow outer needle, whose tail end is fixedly connected to the hair follicle bin mounting seat and is aligned with the first end of the hair follicle bin mounted on the mounting groove, and is used to carry the hair follicle in the hollow part and the first inner needle into the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted under the drive of the first motor of the needle driving mechanism, and withdraw from the first skin tissue alone, so as to implant the hair follicle into the first skin tissue; and The first inner needle has its tail end detachably connected to the driving screw of the needle driving mechanism, and its tip is aligned with the second end of the follicle bin installed in the mounting groove, so as to make axial movement toward the first outer needle under the drive of the driving screw, pass through the follicle bin, and push the hair follicles therein into the hollow part of the first outer needle.

6. The hair follicle implantation needle assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: Also includes: The hair follicle bin includes a rack and a plurality of storage units distributed along the rack, wherein the mounting groove includes a first space for accommodating a gear portion of the needle drive mechanism, a second space for accommodating the rack, and a third space for accommodating at least one of the storage units. Driven by the gear portion, the rack drives the plurality of storage units to pass between the first outer needle and the first inner needle one by one, so as to implant the corresponding hair follicles in each of the storage units one by one.

7. A hair follicle extraction and implantation device, characterized in that: include: The needle drive mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rear end of the needle drive mechanism is connected to the mechanical arm to adjust its own posture, and the front end of the needle drive mechanism is detachably connected to the hair follicle extraction needle assembly to extract hair follicles from the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted, or is detachably connected to the hair follicle implantation needle assembly to implant hair follicles in the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted; The hair follicle extraction needle assembly comprises a hollow second outer needle and a hollow second inner needle, wherein the second outer needle is driven by the first motor of the needle drive mechanism to penetrate into the second skin tissue to surround the target hair follicle, and is driven by the second motor of the needle drive mechanism to rotate around its drive axis to separate the second skin tissue around the target hair follicle; and The hair follicle implantation needle assembly comprises a hollow first outer needle and a solid first inner needle, wherein the first inner needle moves toward the first outer needle under the drive of the drive screw of the needle drive mechanism to push the hair follicle to be implanted into the hollow part of the first outer needle, and the first outer needle, under the drive of the first motor, carries the hair follicle in the hollow part and the first inner needle into the first skin tissue, and withdraws from the first skin tissue alone to implant the hair follicle into the first skin tissue.

8. The hair follicle extraction and implantation device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The tip of the second outer needle is provided with a sawtooth structure to enhance its ability to separate the second skin tissue.

9. The hair follicle extraction and implantation device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Also includes: a frame, at least for mounting the needle drive mechanism, and connected to the mechanical arm via a flange; A light source system, directed toward the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted or the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted, so as to provide illumination thereto; A camera is aimed at the first skin tissue of the object to be implanted or the second skin tissue of the object to be extracted via a viewing mirror to collect the hair follicle image thereof; The viewing mirror is used to adjust the focus, aperture and / or depth of field of the camera; as well as The controller obtains the hair follicle image collected by the camera, and controls the needle driving mechanism to drive the hair follicle extraction needle assembly to extract hair follicles from the second skin tissue, or controls the needle driving mechanism to drive the hair follicle implantation needle assembly to implant hair follicles into the first skin tissue according to the hair follicle image.

Images