FR2738146A1

FR2738146A1 - Implanting implement for hair grafts

Info

Publication number: FR2738146A1
Application number: FR9414121A
Authority: FR
Original assignee: SEJOURNE PIERRE DOMINIQUE
Current assignee: SEJOURNE PIERRE DOMINIQUE
Priority date: 1994-11-07
Filing date: 1994-11-18
Publication date: 1997-03-07

Abstract

The implement has a magazine for the hair grafts formed by groups of small tubes or cylindrical cells. The tubes are of a transparent or translucent material to allow visual checking of the grafts. The magazine can have a notched strip (2) fixed to the parallel tubes to allow feeding of the charge so that, after implantation of the graft, the magazine is fed a set distance to position a new graft for implantation.

Description

La presente invention concerne un appareillage destiné au traitement de la calvitie Cette invention permet de diminuer le temps d'intervention, de réduire le nombre d'aides ainsi que la dose d'anésthésique, de diminuer le risque infectieux,et augmenter la vitalité du greffon. The present invention relates to an apparatus intended for the treatment of baldness. This invention makes it possible to reduce the intervention time, to reduce the number of aids as well as the dose of anesthetic, to decrease the risk of infection, and to increase the vitality of the graft. .

ETAT ACTUEL DU PROCEDE
Il consiste à prelever des cheveux sains au niveau de la couronne ( zone posterieure et laterale du cuir chevelu) et à transplanter les greffons ainsi prélevés au niveau de la zone dégarnie. Ces greffons donneront naissance à de nouveaux cheveux qui persisteront aussi longtemps que les cheveux de la zone de la couronne.CURRENT STATUS OF THE PROCESS
It consists of removing healthy hair from the crown (posterior and lateral area of the scalp) and transplanting the grafts thus removed from the bare area. These grafts will give rise to new hair which will last as long as the hair in the crown area.

Actuellement on peut prélever soit des greffons circulaires à l'aide d'un " punch " sorte d'emporte pièce et à transferer un par un ces greffons au niveau de la zone chauve. Suivant la taille du "punch n on risque d'obtenir un résultat peu esthétique avec l'aspect classique en "cheveux de poupée". Une amélioration du procédé a eté effectuée ces dernières années en utilisant des greffons de plus petite taille comportant 1, 2 ou 3 cheveux obtenus soit par section en quatre du greffon prélevé avec le punch, soit par le découpage d'une bandelette de du cuir chevelu découpée manuellement en petits greffons sous optique grossissante.Currently we can take either circular grafts using a "punch" sort of cookie cutter and transfer one by one these grafts to the bald area. Depending on the size of the "punch n there is a risk of obtaining an unattractive result with the classic" doll hair "appearance. An improvement of the process has been carried out in recent years using smaller grafts comprising 1, 2 or 3 hairs obtained either by section in four of the graft taken with the punch, or by cutting a strip of scalp manually cut into small grafts under magnifying optics.

C'est actuellement le procédé qui donne le résultat cosmetique le meilleur, au prix d'un travail long et minutieux effectué à 2 ou 3 personnes.It is currently the process which gives the best cosmetic result, at the cost of a long and meticulous work carried out with 2 or 3 people.

Le dispositif suivant l'invention rend les différents temps opératoires plus rapides
UNE PRESSE MULTILAMES à ROULEAU avec PEIGNE permet la preparation des greffons et le remplissage du CHARGEUR ulilisé avec le PISTOLET IMPLANTEUR. Grace à cet appareil le greffon va être transféré du chargeur vers le cuir chevelu en l'espace d'une fraction de seconde.The device according to the invention makes the different operating times faster
A MULTI-BLADE ROLLER PRESS with COMB allows the preparation of grafts and the filling of the LOADER used with the IMPLANT PISTOL. Thanks to this device, the graft will be transferred from the charger to the scalp in a fraction of a second.

L'interêt est un gain de temps pour le chirurgien et pour le greffon. En effet le greffon est privé de toute vascularisation durant son transfert et une opération plus rapide est un gage de meilleure reprise du greffon transplanté. Interest is a time saver for the surgeon and for the graft. Indeed the graft is deprived of any vascularization during its transfer and a faster operation is a pledge of better recovery of the transplanted graft.

DESCRIPTION L'APPAREILLAGE SPECIFIQUE
Il est composé par:
Un bistouri multi-lames(FIG. 5) dont la disposition particulière des lames placées parallèlement en chevron va permettre un prélèvement plus facile sans risque de déviation. Le réglage de l'écart entre les lames est possible suivant la tailles des bandelettes que l'on souhaite obtenir. Enfin la disposition en chevron des lames rendra plus facile la fermeture de la zone donneuse.DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC DEVICE
It is made up of:
A multi-blade scalpel (FIG. 5) whose particular arrangement of the blades placed in parallel in a chevron will allow an easier sampling without risk of deviation. The adjustment of the gap between the blades is possible depending on the size of the strips that one wishes to obtain. Finally the chevron arrangement of the blades will make it easier to close the donor area.

Une presse multi lames à rouleau(FIG. 2) destinée à obtenir le découpage rapide et atraumatique des bandelettes prélevées et le remplissage rapide et automatique du chargeur.A multi-blade roller press (FIG. 2) intended to obtain the rapid and atraumatic cutting of the strips removed and the rapid and automatic filling of the loader.

Cette presse est constituée par une serie de lames parallèles tranchantes(l2) dont l'écart entre elles est adapté à la taille des greffons que l'on désire obtenir.This press is constituted by a series of parallel sharp blades (12), the distance between them is adapted to the size of the grafts that it is desired to obtain.

Une des bandelettes de cuir chevelu précedemment prélevées à l'aide du bistouri special (fig5) est disposée sur le tranchant des lames en veillant à la bonne orientation des follicules pilleux(20).One of the scalp strips previously removed using the special scalpel (fig5) is placed on the cutting edge of the blades, ensuring that the hair follicles are properly oriented (20).

Un rouleau(14) muni d'une plaque en matière transparente( 15) va permettre la section des bandelettes de cuir chevelus. Les greffons ainsi obtenus restent emprisonnés entre les lames, les entretoises et la plaque transparente.A roller (14) provided with a transparent material plate (15) will allow the section of the scalp strips. The grafts thus obtained remain trapped between the blades, the spacers and the transparent plate.

La deuxième étape consiste à tranférer par une seule manipulation l'ensemble des greffons obtenus dans le chargeur. C'est le rôle du peigne (1 7)constitué de fines tiges parallèles dont l'espacement est identique à celle des lames. Chaque tige s'intercalant entre deux lames.The second step consists in transferring by a single manipulation all the grafts obtained in the charger. This is the role of the comb (1 7) consisting of thin parallel rods whose spacing is identical to that of the blades. Each rod is inserted between two blades.

Ce peigne va permettre de repousser les greffons obtenus dans le chargeur(figl)soit à travers les orifices lateraux du boitier de la presse ( Fig. 2 bis) soit le chargeur est disposé à l'interieure même de la presse, en bout de lames.This comb will push back the grafts obtained in the charger (figl) either through the lateral orifices of the press case (Fig. 2 bis) or the charger is placed inside the press, at the end of the blades .

Chaque tige pousse un greffon dans un compartiment du chargeur.Each stem pushes a graft into a charger compartment.

Le chargeur(FIG. 1) c'est un des élément principal du dispositif il se presente sous la forme d'une serie de tubes parallèles(1) de faible diamètre disposés côte à côte . Le chargeur est muni d'une bande perforée destinée à l'avancement automatique(2) du chargeur dans le pistolet implanteur.The charger (FIG. 1) is one of the main elements of the device and is in the form of a series of parallel tubes (1) of small diameter arranged side by side. The magazine is provided with a perforated strip intended for the automatic advancement (2) of the magazine in the implanting gun.

Les avantages sont importants: il évite toute manipulation fastidieuse des greffons, évite leur désication (déséchement) par rétention de serum par capillarité autour du greffon.The advantages are important: it avoids any tedious manipulation of the grafts, avoids their desication (drying) by retention of serum by capillarity around the graft.

n permet surtout la mécanisation de l'implantation des greffons en zone receveuse grace au pistolet implanteur automatique(fig 3). n especially allows the mechanization of the implantation of the grafts in recipient area thanks to the automatic implanter gun (fig 3).

Le pistolet implanteur (fig3):
Il est constitué par un une sorte de pistolet(10) qui reçoit de chargeur contenant les greffons.The implanting gun (fig3):
It consists of a sort of pistol (10) which receives a magazine containing the grafts.

A chaque pression sur la gachette (5) une tige pousse greffon (6) va tranférer un greffon du chargeur vers un petit catheter(3) qui le guidera jusqu'à sa place définitive au niveau du cuir chevelu. Le relachement de la gachette va faire avancer le chargeur grace au dispositif cranté qui qui presente une nouvelle perforation (2) donc un nouveau compartiment contenant un greffon.Each time the trigger (5) is pressed, a graft pushing rod (6) will transfer a graft from the charger to a small catheter (3) which will guide it to its final place at the scalp. The release of the trigger will advance the charger thanks to the notched device which presents a new perforation (2) therefore a new compartment containing a graft.

Ce nouveau greffon est alors prêt à être impanté et une nouvelle pression sur la gachette va le
transferer vers le cuir chevelu.This new graft is then ready to be implanted and a new pressure on the trigger will
transfer to the scalp.

Le niveau d'affleurement du greffon par rapport à la surface du cuir chevelu est réalisé facilement par la butée réglable(9) et inclinablegrâce à sa double articulation(8) qui permet, quel que soit l'inclinaison du pistolet, de déposer ce greffon avec precision au niveau du cuir chevelu.The level of the graft's level with respect to the surface of the scalp is easily achieved by the adjustable stop (9) and tiltable thanks to its double articulation (8) which allows, whatever the inclination of the gun, to deposit this graft with precision on the scalp.

Cette possibilité d'incliner le greffon est utile pour disposer de manière plus naturelle les cheveux au niveau de la ligne antérieure.This possibility of tilting the graft is useful for more naturally arranging the hair at the level of the anterior line.

L'utilisation ce cet appareillage va avoir l'avantage de raccourcir la durée de l'opération . Lorsque la durée opératoire est plus courte la dose d'anésthésique est moindre et le risque infectieux diminué.The use of this apparatus will have the advantage of shortening the duration of the operation. When the operating time is shorter the dose of anesthetic is lower and the risk of infection reduced.

Ainsi l'utilisation de ces instruments permet de " mécaniser " I'opération de transplants capillaires. Thus the use of these instruments makes it possible to "mechanize" the operation of hair transplants.

Claims

1) Device intended for preparing and implanting hair grafts within the framework of the treatment of baldness, characterized in that it comprises a set of instruments comprising: a charger (FIG 1) which ensures the transport and the temporary storage of the prepared grafts by the multi-blade roller press (FIG 2). This charger is then introduced into the implanting gun (FIG 3) for the second phase of the transplantation which is the reimplantation.

2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the charger (fig 1) consists of a series of small tubes or cylindrical cavities or of different shapes arranged in parallel.

These tubes will be made of a transparent or translucent material to allow visual verification of the grafts. These tubes can have any cross-section, the size of these tubes depends on the type of graft to be used. The length of the loader as well as the number of tubes constituting it may be variable depending on the work to be performed. The shape of the charger can be linear or circular. These tubes will be provided with an elastic device intended to hold the graft in place in the event that it does not fill all the lumen of the tube.

3) Device according to claim let claim 2 characterized in that the loader (fig 1) is provided with a notched device (2), integral with the series of parallel tubes intended to advance the loader so that after 1 implantation of a graft the feeder advances by a determined distance so that a tube movement containing a new graft can appear, in good place, facing the graft pushing device (6) of the implanting gun (fig 3). The shape of the notches (2) may be variable quadrangular, circular or of any type adapted to the device intended to advance the loader.

4) Device according to claim let claim 2 characterized in that the filling of the charger (fig 1) is done using the multi-blade roller press (fig 2) whose role is to transform a strip of scalp into a series of small paralleledipedic grafts whose size is adapted to the magazine compartments. This multi-blade roller press (fig 2) consists of a quadrangular box (11) in which are disposed vertical cutting blades (12) separated by spacers (13) whose thickness depends on the type of graft that is desire to obtain. The upper edge of the spacers are spaced from the blade wire by a distance equal to the space between two blades thus delimiting the three walls of a channel. The section of the scalp strip is done using a roller (14) provided with a plate of transparent material (15), intended for the visual control of the grafts during the passage of the roller, plate which accompanies the roller in its movement The passage of the roller (14) ensures the section, by the blades, strip of scalp in parallelepipedic grafts (fig 4).

5) Device according to claim 1 and claim 4 characterized in that the transparent patina ensures occlusion and maintenance of the grafts in the grooves defined by the blades after the passage of the roller.

6) Device according to claim 1 and claim 4 characterized in that a series of openings (16) on one side of the press allows the passage of the teeth of the comb (17) intended to push the grafts towards the charger. The comb is made up of thin parallel rods with the same space between them as the blades. Each rod will push a graft towards one of the tubes constituting the charger (1). The teeth of the comb will be made of a suitable material, a certain flexibility being required.

7) Device according to claim I and claim 4 characterized in that a series of openings 18) on the side opposite to the introduction of the comb allows the passage of grafts from the press to the loader or may include a variant in which the magazine is placed directly at the end of the blades in the press case (fig. 2 ter.)

8) Device according to any one of the preceding claims characterized by a temporary securing device (19) of the charger to the multi-blade press roller at the outlet ports of the grafts, in the case where the charger is placed outside of the multi-blade press.

9) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the magazine (fig 1) is used with the implanting gun (fig 3) comprises a trigger (5) actuating a rod (6) whose role is, by a back and forth movement, pushing the graft of the charger tube (1) through the catheter (3) (small transparent tube) of introduction ensuring the transfer of capillary grafts from the charger to the scalp. The implanting gun includes a device necessary for advancing the magazine (4) after each implantation of the graft. The stem (6) accompanies the graft up to the level of the scalp.

10) Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an adjustable guard device comprising a ring (7) provided with a double articulation (8) connected to the support (9) adjusted so that the skin area of graft pushed by the stem is flush with the surface of the scalp. Thanks to this articulation the graft will thus be introduced at the right level whatever the inclination of the implanting gun.