JP5582103B2 - Flocking needle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a flocking needle for collecting a skin graft including a hair root from a scalp and transplanting the collected skin graft to a necessary portion of the scalp.

  There is a self-hair transplanting technique in which the hair of the occipital region and temporal region, which is less affected by androgen, is transplanted to the hairline and top of the head thinned by androgen. As this self-flocking technique, a FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) method and a FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) method are mainly known.

  The FUT method is a method in which the skin of the area of the back of the patient's occipital region or temporal region is cut out along with the hair roots and stocked, and transplanted to a necessary portion such as the top of the head or hairline. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus used for this FUT method.

  Further, the FUE method is a method in which skin graft pieces including hair roots for transplantation are collected one by one. As an apparatus and technique used in the FUE method, for example, one described in Non-Patent Document 1 is known.

Japanese Patent No. 3034668

`` The SAFE System: New Instrumentation and Methodology to Improve Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) '' Hair Transplant Forum International, 2004, 14 (5), 163-4

  As described above, since the FUE method is for collecting skin grafts including hair roots one by one, it is not necessary to cut a scalp of a large area like the FUT method, and there is no leftover trace. There are benefits. On the other hand, the FUE method has a demerit that it takes a lot of time and labor to collect skin graft pieces.

  For example, in the “SAFE System” described in Non-Patent Document 1, a hard epidermis (stratum corneum) is incised with a cylindrical drill having a sharp cutting edge, and further to the depth of the hair root with a cylindrical drill with a blunt cutting edge. An incision is then made, and the hair graft including the hair root is collected through a process of cutting the hair with a pair of tweezers and the like, and cutting the whole hair root.

  In this way, it is possible to prevent damaging the hair root part, etc. at the time of collecting skin graft pieces by using a drill with different blade tips at the time of incision of the epidermis and at the time of incision to the depth of the hair root, Accordingly, the number of steps increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and provides a flocking needle capable of improving the collection efficiency when collecting skin graft pieces including a hair root for transplantation one by one. For the purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, the flocking needle according to claim 1,
A shaft that moves forward or backward relative to the scalp, depending on the force it receives,
The inside is formed hollow, and the shaft is inserted into the hollow portion, thereby supporting the shaft and guiding the advance and retreat in the axial direction of the shaft; and
It is connected to the guide part and is formed in a hollow shape, and gradually decreases in diameter from the connection part with the guide part toward the tip, and is divided by a plurality of slits. The needle portion that expands greatly as the contact position approaches the tip, is punctured into the scalp when collecting the skin graft piece, and stores the skin graft piece including the hair root in its internal space;
A spring member that generates a force that resists the movement of the needle portion when the needle portion moves so as to be pierced into the scalp as the shaft advances.
When the needle part is punctured into the scalp for sampling the skin graft piece, the relationship between the spring coefficient of the needle part when the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft and the spring coefficient of the spring member Accordingly, with the advance of the shaft, the trajectory that changes from the reduced diameter state to the expanded diameter state is determined while the tip of the needle portion proceeds in the scalp ,
When the diameter of the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft, the spring coefficient of the needle part is K _A , the spring coefficient of the spring member is K _B , the displacement amount of the guide part is X, and the shaft relative to the guide part is when the relative displacement amount was X _C, and satisfies the equation 1 below.
(Equation _{1) K B + K A /} R = 0
R = X / X _C

  In the above configuration, when the shaft advances in the scalp direction, the tip of the shaft comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the hollow needle portion. Then, the needle part and the guide part also move in the direction of the scalp together with the shaft while receiving the force of the spring member, and the needle part is punctured into the scalp. Further, since the diameter of the needle portion is reduced from the connecting portion with the guide portion toward the tip portion, the shaft moves relative to the guide portion, and the contact position of the shaft is at the tip of the needle portion. The closer it gets, the larger the diameter.

  Accordingly, the tip of the needle portion increases in diameter while proceeding in the depth direction within the scalp. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of such a situation that the tip of the needle damages or cuts the root of the skin graft piece as much as possible.

Furthermore, in the scalp, locus tip of the needle portion is drawn has a spring constant of the needle part when expanded the tip of the thus needle portion Schaff bets is determined by the spring constant of the spring member. More specifically, the spring coefficient of the needle part when the diameter of the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft is K _A , the spring coefficient of the spring member is K _B , the displacement amount of the guide part is X, and the shaft is relative to the guide part. when the displacement amount set to X _C, satisfy the following equation 1.
(Equation _{1) K B + K A /} R = 0
R = X / X _C
By setting the respective spring coefficients so as to satisfy the above formula, when the shaft advances toward the scalp, the tip of the needle portion will expand in diameter while proceeding in the scalp. . For this reason, the locus | trajectory which a needle part draws in a scalp is always constant only by advancing a shaft toward a scalp direction. Accordingly, it is possible to collect the skin graft pieces efficiently and stably by reducing the influence of the skill of the operator.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the needle portion includes a maximum puncture length limiting means for limiting a maximum puncture length of the needle portion into the scalp at the time of collecting the skin graft piece. When the scalp is punctured and the maximum puncture length is reached, it is preferable that the tip of the needle portion is in the most expanded state. The depth from the scalp surface to the hair root is substantially constant, and the maximum puncture length for collecting a skin graft including the hair root can be set in advance. When the needle portion reaches the maximum puncture length, the tip of the needle portion is in the most expanded state, so that the possibility of damaging the hair root portion can be further reduced.

As described in claim 3, the guide portion the shaft is inserted and a needle portion, so as to movably accommodated, provided with a casing having a through hole formed, the side of the case, the needle portion pops It is preferable that the peripheral portion of the through-hole opening is pressed against the scalp to position the portion to be punctured by the needle portion. Thereby, the initial positioning with respect to a scalp can be performed reliably, and a skin graft piece can be extract | collected, without damaging a skin graft piece.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, provided in the case, the needle portion is restricted from moving in a direction of being pulled back into the case by the spring member when the needle portion protrudes the longest from the case. When the shaft is retracted from a state in which the needle part protrudes the longest from the case, the tip of the needle part has the largest diameter, and a skin graft piece including a hair root is accommodated in the internal space. It is preferable that the movement of the needle portion is restricted by the restriction means , whereby the shaft moves relative to the guide portion and the needle portion is in a reduced diameter state.

When the needle portion is in an expanded state, the skin graft housed in the inner space of the needle portion is still connected to the lower portion of the hair root. For this reason, if the needle portion is pulled out from the scalp while being in a diameter-enlarged state, the skin graft piece may fall out of the needle portion. On the other hand, by adopting the configuration of the invention of claim 4 , when the needle part is projected from the case for the longest time, the tip of the needle part can be changed from the enlarged diameter state to the reduced diameter state. Thereby, the connection with the lower part of the hair root of the skin graft piece can be reduced, and the skin graft piece can be held so as not to move in the falling-off direction by the reduced diameter needle portion. Therefore, when the needle part is moved so as to be pulled out from the scalp, the connection with the lower part of the hair root of the skin graft piece can be completely broken while the skin graft piece is accommodated in the internal space of the needle part.

The flocking needle described in claim 5 is for collecting a skin graft including a hair root from the scalp, and for transplanting the collected skin graft to a necessary part of the scalp,
A shaft that moves forward or backward relative to the scalp, depending on the force it receives,
The inside is formed hollow, and the shaft is inserted into the hollow portion, thereby supporting the shaft and guiding the advance and retreat in the axial direction of the shaft; and
It is connected to the guide part and is formed in a hollow shape, and gradually decreases in diameter from the connection part with the guide part toward the tip, and is divided by a plurality of slits. The needle portion that expands greatly as the contact position approaches the tip, is punctured into the scalp when collecting the skin graft piece, and stores the skin graft piece including the hair root in its internal space;
A spring member that generates a force that resists the movement of the needle part when the needle part moves to puncture into the scalp as the shaft advances.
A return spring member that is provided between the shaft and the guide portion , generates a force that resists the forward movement of the shaft, and generates a force that moves the guide portion forward.
When the needle part is punctured into the scalp for sampling the skin graft piece, the spring coefficient of the needle part when the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft, the spring coefficient of the spring member, and the return spring depending on the relationship between the spring constant of members, the with the advancement of the shafts bets while the tip of the needle portion is advanced to said scalp loci changing from contracted state to the expanded state is determined,
When the diameter of the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft, the spring coefficient of the needle part is K _A , the spring coefficient of the spring member is K _B , the spring coefficient of the return spring member is K _C , the displacement X, when the relative displacement amount of the shaft relative to the guide portion and the X _C, and satisfies the equation 2 below.
(Formula 2) K _B + (K _A + K _C ) / R = 0
R = X / X _C

  As described above, since the return spring member is provided between the shaft and the guide member, the shaft can be retracted only by the disappearance of the force for moving the shaft forward in the scalp direction, and the flocking needle can be handled easily. Can be improved.

Then, in the flocked needle according to claim 5, in the scalp, locus tip of the needle portion is drawn has a spring constant of the needle part when expanded the tip of the thus needle portion Schaff bets, the spring coefficient of the spring member And the spring coefficient of the return spring member. More specifically, the spring coefficient of the needle part when the diameter of the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft is K _A , the spring coefficient of the spring member is K _B , the spring coefficient of the return spring member is K _C , when the displacement X, the relative displacement of the shaft relative to the guide portion and the X _C, satisfy equation 2 below.
(Formula 2) K _B + (K _A + K _C ) / R = 0
R = X / X _C
Even when a return spring member is provided, by setting the respective spring coefficients so as to satisfy the relationship of the above formula 2, when the shaft advances toward the scalp, the tip of the needle portion is moved to the scalp. The diameter can be increased while proceeding inside. For this reason, the locus | trajectory which a needle part draws in a scalp is always constant only by advancing a shaft toward a scalp direction. Accordingly, it is possible to collect the skin graft pieces efficiently and stably by reducing the influence of the skill of the operator.

The operational effects of the sixth and seventh aspects of the present invention are the same as those of the second and third aspects of the invention, respectively , so that the description thereof is omitted.

Since the operational effect of the invention of claim 8 is the same as that of the invention of claim 4 , the description thereof is omitted.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, a curved cam that determines a relationship between a movement amount of the shaft and a diameter expansion amount of the needle portion is provided at a tip portion of the shaft that is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the needle portion. It is preferable that it is attached. Thereby, according to the curved surface shape of the cam, it is possible to easily adjust the trajectory drawn by the tip of the needle portion when the diameter of the needle portion expands while traveling in the scalp to be a desired trajectory. .

11. The shaft according to claim 10 , wherein the shaft is formed in a hollow shape, and the needle portion passes through the hollow portion of the shaft when the shaft is retracted from a state where the tip end portion of the needle portion is expanded most. There may be provided negative pressure supply means for supplying negative pressure to the inside of the apparatus. Thereby, at the time of retreating of the shaft, coupled with the change of the tip of the needle portion from the expanded diameter state to the reduced diameter state, it is possible to more easily cut off the connection between the skin graft piece and the lower portion of the hair root.

In addition to supplying the negative pressure to the internal space of the needle part that accommodates the skin graft piece using the negative pressure supply means, for example, as described in claim 11 , the shaft is provided inside the needle part. When the shaft is retracted from a state where the diameter of the tip of the needle portion is most expanded, a negative pressure is applied to the inside of the needle portion as the volume of the internal space increases. May be generated.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the tip of the needle portion is formed with incisors having a tapered surface from the inner surface to the outer surface as an inner surface and the outer surface of the needle portion as an outer surface, In the reduced diameter state of the tip of the needle portion, the inner surface and the outer surface of the incisor have substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the traveling direction of the needle portion, and the tip of the needle portion is expanded in diameter. The inclination angle of the inner surface of the incisor with respect to the traveling direction is preferably larger than the inclination angle of the outer surface of the incisor. By adopting such a configuration, when the tip of the needle portion is punctured into the scalp and the surface of the scalp is incised, the incisor at the tip of the needle portion becomes the sharpest in the traveling direction of the needle portion. Therefore, the scalp surface can be smoothly incised. And as the tip of the needle portion is expanded, the incisor at the tip opens outward, so that it becomes dull with respect to the traveling direction of the needle portion. For this reason, it can prevent more reliably that the skin graft piece containing a hair root will be damaged by an incisor.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the flocking needle in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the operation | movement of the puncture process at the time of extract | collecting a skin graft piece with the flocking needle of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of the holding | grip process at the time of extract | collecting a skin graft piece with the flocking needle of 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the operation | movement of the extraction process at the time of extract | collecting a skin graft piece with the flocking needle of 1st Embodiment. It is an enlarged view which expands and shows the needle part of a flocking needle. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the flocking needle in 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of the puncture process at the time of extract | collecting a skin graft piece with the flocking needle of 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of the holding | grip process at the time of extract | collecting a skin graft piece with the flocking needle of 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of the extraction process at the time of extract | collecting a skin graft piece with the flocking needle of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the flocking needle in 3rd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the operation | movement and effect | action of each part at the time of extract | collecting a skin graft piece with the flocking needle of 3rd Embodiment, and transplanting the extract | collected skin graft piece. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the flocking needle in 4th Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the flocking needle in 5th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, each embodiment of the flocking needle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a flocking needle 10 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the flocking needle 10 according to the present embodiment includes a holder 11, a shaft 26, and a spring 30.

  The holder 11 extends from the base 12, is connected to the guide 14 that guides the movement of the shaft 26, and is connected to the guide 14. The holder 11 is punctured into the scalp of the patient and collects the graft. And a stopper portion 24 for defining the maximum puncture length of the needle portion 16.

  The base portion 12 has a through-hole through which the shaft 26 penetrates at a substantially central position. The guide portion 14 extends from the periphery of the through hole of the base portion 12 and is formed hollow inside, and the shaft 26 is inserted into the hollow portion. The through hole of the base portion 12 and the hollow portion of the guide portion 14 have an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft 26. For this reason, the shaft 26 can slide in the axial direction in the through hole of the base portion 12 and the hollow portion of the guide portion 14. In other words, the guide portion 14 particularly guides the movement (advance and retreat) in the axial direction of the shaft 26 while supporting the shaft 26 in the hollow portion therein.

  The needle part 16 is connected to the guide part 14 and formed in a hollow shape, and has a shape that gradually decreases in diameter from the connection part with the guide part 14 toward the tip. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the needle portion 16 is formed with a plurality of slits along the axial direction of the shaft 26 and is divided into a plurality of needles by the plurality of slits.

  The needle portion 16 is made of a flexible metal material. For this reason, when the tip end portion of the shaft 26 abuts on the inner peripheral surface of the needle portion 16 and receives force from the tip portion of the abutting shaft 26, the plurality of needles divided into the needle portion 16 each open outward. Bend. At this time, the diameter of the needle portion 16 is increased from the initial reduced diameter state. Then, the closer the contact position of the shaft 26 is to the tip of the needle portion 16, the larger the diameter of the needle portion 16, and the maximum is until the opposing needles become substantially parallel as shown in FIG. To do.

In order for the shaft 26 to expand the diameter of the needle portion 16, the elastic force generated according to the deformation amount of the needle portion 16 from the initial reduced diameter state and the tip of the needle portion 16 are punctured into the scalp. It is necessary to give the needle portion 16 a force that overcomes the elastic force due to skin elasticity received from the scalp when opening in the radial direction. Thus, the diameter expansion of the needle portion 16 when the flocking needle 10 is actually put into use is not determined by the elastic characteristics of the needle portion 16 alone, but in the following description, for convenience, the shaft the axial movement of 26, the elastic properties for causing the diameter of the needle portion 16, referred to as axial spring coefficient K _a needle unit 16.

Further, the description of the needle portion 16 will be continued with reference to FIG. A tapered surface 22 that tapers from the inner surface 18 side toward the outer surface 20 side is formed at the tip of the plurality of divided needles of the needle portion 16. Therefore, the tip of each needle has an incisor whose inner surface is the tapered surface 22 and whose outer surface 20 is the outer surface. The inner surface 22 and the outer surface 20 of this incisor have substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the axial direction of the shaft 26 (the traveling direction of the needle portion 16) in the initial reduced diameter state of the needle portion 16. . That is, when the angle of the incisor made from the inner surface 22 and outer surface 20. and theta _C, the inclination angle of the inner surface 22 and outer surface 20 with respect to the axial direction of the shaft 26, are both almost theta _{C /} 2 .

  For this reason, when the needle portion 16 is in the initial reduced diameter state, the incisor at the tip thereof is sharpest in the traveling direction of the needle portion 16. Then, as the tip of the needle portion 16 is expanded, the incisor at the tip opens outward, so the inclination angle of the inner surface 22 of the incisor with respect to the traveling direction becomes larger than the inclination angle of the outer surface 20. . As a result, the incisor becomes dull with respect to the traveling direction of the needle portion 16.

As described above, in order for the inner side surface 22 and the outer side surface 20 of the incisor to have substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the traveling direction of the needle portion 16, the angle θ _V formed by the needles facing each other is The incisor angle θ _C may be set to be substantially equal (θ _C ≈θ _V ) in the initial reduced diameter state of the needle portion 16.

In addition, the angle θ _V formed by the opposing needles is preferably set to be less than 45 degrees at the maximum from the condition that the angle θ _C of the incisor is substantially equal in the initial reduced diameter state of the needle portion 16. Further, the angle θ _V formed by the opposing needles is such that θ _V ≈0 and θ _V > 0 when the diameter of the needle portion 16 is increased and the opposing needles are substantially parallel as shown in FIG. It becomes. Accordingly, the change range of the angle θ _V formed by the opposing needles is 0 <θ _V <45.

  The description will be continued again with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, a stopper portion 24 extending from the base portion 12 in the same direction as the guide portion 14 is formed in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge portion of the base portion 12. The stopper portion 24 is formed to a length that contacts the patient's scalp surface when the needle portion 16 is punctured into the patient's scalp and the puncture length reaches the maximum puncture length. This is because the depth from the scalp surface to the hair root is substantially constant, and the maximum puncture length necessary for collecting a skin graft piece including the hair root can be set in advance.

  The spring 30 is a general coil spring, and is attached to the base portion 12 so as to extend around the guide portion 14 and the needle portion 16. When the needle portion 16 is punctured into the patient's scalp, one end of the spring 30 abuts against the scalp surface and resists forward movement (advance) of the base portion 12, that is, the guide portion 14 and the needle portion 16. Generate power.

Here, the spring coefficient K _B of the axial spring coefficient K _A and the spring 30 of the needle portion 16 is set so as to satisfy Equation 1 below.

(Equation _{1) K B + K A /} R = 0
R = X / X _C
In Equation 1, X is the displacement amount of the guide portion 14, X _C is the relative displacement of the shaft 26 relative to the guide portion 14, R is the ratio of the displacement X of the needle portion 16 against relative displacement amount X _C. So as to satisfy the above equation 1, by setting the spring coefficient K _B of the axial spring coefficient K _A and the spring 30 of the needle portion 16, when the shaft 26 is advanced toward the scalp, the shaft 26 is the guide portion Accordingly, the tip of the needle portion 16 expands in diameter while proceeding through the scalp. In this case, the size balance of the spring coefficient K _B of the axial spring coefficient K _A and the spring 30 of the needle portion 16, the order of magnitude of the diameter for the travel distance of the needle portion 16 is determined.

  The shaft 26 has a length that protrudes from a through hole in a surface of the base portion 12 opposite to the surface on which the guide portion 14 is formed. And in this protruding part, by receiving the input of displacement, it moves to the front (direction approaching the scalp) or the back (direction away from the scalp). In addition, a cam 28 having a curved surface shape is attached to the corner portion of the tip of the shaft 26 on the side inserted into the guide portion 14. Thereby, according to the curved surface shape of the cam 28, the trajectory drawn by the tip of the needle portion when the diameter of the needle portion 16 is expanded while proceeding in the scalp, that is, the shape of the skin graft piece including the hair root to be collected is desired. It can be easily adjusted so that the shape becomes.

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4, the operation and action of each part when a skin graft piece including a hair root is collected by the hair transplant needle 10 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the operator positions the flocking needle 10 so that the hair is surrounded by each needle of the needle portion 16. For this positioning, the scalp 32 may be slightly punctured with incisors at the tip of the needle portion 16. When a skin graft is collected by the hair transplant needle 10 according to the present embodiment and the collected skin graft is transplanted to a necessary portion (the top of the head or hairline) of the scalp 32, the patient's hair is trimmed short.

  When the positioning is completed, the shaft 26 is displaced so that the shaft 26 moves forward as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. At this time, the operator may apply a force directly to the shaft 26 to displace the shaft 26, or use a drive source such as a solenoid or pressure as shown in the fourth and fifth embodiments described later. The shaft 26 may be displaced by using it.

  When the shaft 26 advances in the scalp direction, the tip of the shaft 26 comes into contact with the inner peripheral surface of the needle portion 16 whose diameter is reduced. Then, the entire holder 11 moves in the scalp direction together with the shaft 26 while receiving the force from the spring 30. Thereby, the needle part 16 is punctured on the surface of the scalp 32 first.

  When the incisors of each needle of the needle portion 16 incise the scalp surface, the needle portion 16 substantially maintains the initial reduced diameter state. For this reason, when incising the hard stratum corneum on the scalp surface, the incisors of each needle of the needle portion 16 are sharpest in the traveling direction of the needle portion 16. Therefore, the scalp surface can be smoothly incised.

Then, further, when the shaft 26 is advanced toward the scalp, the tip of the needle portion 16, while traveling in the scalp, so continue to diameter, axial spring coefficient K _A and the spring of the needle portion 16 It is set 30 of the spring coefficient _{K B.} As the tip of the needle portion 16 is expanded, the incisors at the tip open outward and become dull with respect to the traveling direction of the needle portion 16. Finally, when the needle portion 16 reaches the maximum puncture length defined by the stopper portion 24, the tip end of the needle portion 16 is in the most expanded state. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which the root of the skin graft piece is damaged or cut by the cutting teeth of each needle of the needle portion 16 as much as possible.

In the scalp, the locus drawn by the incisors of the needle portion 16 is determined by the axial spring coefficient K _A of the needle portion 16, the spring coefficient K _B of the spring 30, and the cam 28 at the tip of the shaft 26. In other words, simply by moving the shaft 26 forward in the scalp direction, the trajectory drawn by the needle portion 16 in the scalp, that is, the shape of the skin graft piece collected is always constant. Accordingly, it is possible to collect the skin graft pieces efficiently and stably by reducing the influence of the skill of the operator.

  Subsequently, in order to securely grasp the graft piece accommodated in the needle portion 16 by the needle portion 16, the direction in which the shaft 26 is separated from the scalp while the position of the holder 11 is fixed as shown by an arrow B in FIG. Move to (retract).

  When the needle part 16 is in the diameter-expanded state, the skin graft housed in the internal space of the needle part 16 is still connected to the lower part of the hair root. For this reason, if the needle part 16 is pulled out from the scalp while being in a diameter-enlarged state, the skin graft piece may fall out of the needle part 16.

  Therefore, first, only the shaft 26 is retracted, and the tip of the needle portion 16 is changed from the expanded diameter state to the reduced diameter state as shown in FIG. Thereby, most of the connection part with the downward direction of a hair root of a skin graft piece can be cut | disconnected. Furthermore, the graft piece can be held so as not to move in the falling direction by the needle portion 16 in the reduced diameter state. Therefore, as shown by an arrow C in FIG. 4, when the holder 11 is moved backward and the needle part 16 is pulled out from the scalp, the hair root of the skin graft piece remains in a state where the skin graft piece is accommodated in the internal space of the needle part 16. The connection with the lower part of can be completely broken.

  As described above, the inner diameter of the hollow portion of the guide portion 14 and the inner diameter of the through hole of the base portion 12 is slightly larger than the outer shape of the shaft 26, so that the inside of the needle portion 16 in which the skin graft piece is accommodated. The space is almost sealed. For this reason, by moving the shaft 26 in the arrow B direction, the volume of the internal space of the needle portion 16 in which the skin graft piece is accommodated is expanded, and a negative pressure is generated. Accordingly, when the shaft 26 is retracted, the tip of the needle portion 16 is changed from the expanded diameter state to the contracted diameter state, thereby making it easier to cut off the connection between the skin graft piece and the lower portion of the hair root. it can.

  However, generating the negative pressure in the internal space of the needle portion 16 in which the skin graft piece is accommodated is not limited to the above-described configuration. For example, as in the third to fifth embodiments to be described later, the shaft 26 is a hollow shaft and connected to a negative pressure source such as a pump that generates negative pressure, and the needle passes through the hollow portion of the shaft. Negative pressure may be supplied to the internal space of the portion 16. Thereby, a negative pressure can be generated more positively in the internal space of the needle portion 16.

  When the skin graft piece is accommodated in the internal space of the needle portion 16 in this manner, the hair transplantation needle 10 is punctured at a location where transplantation is necessary, and the needle portion 16 is withdrawn from the scalp with the diameter expanded. At this time, if a hollow shaft is used, a positive pressure is supplied to the internal space of the needle portion 16 through the hollow portion of the shaft. Thereby, the skin graft piece accommodated in the internal space of the needle part 16 can be transplanted to a required location.

Since the flocking needle 10 according to the present embodiment can continuously collect and transplant the skin graft piece with a single flocking needle 10, also in this respect, the efficiency of self-flocking by the FUE method can be improved. Yes (second embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the flocking needle of the present invention will be described. The principle of collecting a skin graft piece with a flocking needle according to this embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment described above. However, the flocking needle according to the present embodiment employs a configuration that can further improve the ease of handling of the flocking needle by the operator. Hereinafter, the flocking needle according to the present embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the flocking needle 10 according to the first embodiment.

  FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the flocking needle 100 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, the flocking needle 100 according to the present embodiment includes a holder 111, a shaft 126, a spring 130, and a case 134.

  A through hole is formed in the case 134 in the axial direction, and the holder 111, the shaft 126, and the spring 130 are accommodated in the through hole. At that time, the needle portion 116 of the holder 111 is protruded from one opening of the through hole, and the shaft 126 is protruded from the other opening. However, the needle part 116 may be arranged so that the tip position thereof coincides with the position of the opening of the through hole as an initial state.

  A contact surface 136 that contacts the patient's scalp 132 is formed around the opening of the case 134 from which the needle portion 116 protrudes. In addition, the case 134 is formed with an engaging portion 142 that engages with the base portion 112 of the holder 111 when the puncture length by the needle portion 116 reaches the maximum puncture length. When the base portion 112 passes in the forward direction, the engaging portion 142 moves so that a protruding portion to the internal space 138 becomes small, and allows the base portion 112 to move in the forward direction. However, when the base portion 112 is about to pass in the backward direction, it engages with the base portion 112 and prohibits the movement of the base portion 112.

  In the internal space 138 formed in the case 134, the spring 130 is between the inner wall of the case 134 forming the internal space 138 and the flange-shaped base portion 112 of the holder 111, and It is provided around. For this reason, the base portion 112 of the holder 111 is always subjected to a force in a direction in which it abuts against the rear wall 140 of the case 134, that is, a direction in which the holder 111 is retracted, by the spring 130.

  In the flocking needle 100 according to the present embodiment, the maximum puncture length of the needle portion 116 is limited mainly because the tip of the shaft 126 contacts the surface of the scalp 132 and further advancement is impossible. .

  Next, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9, the operation and action of each part when a skin graft piece including a hair root is collected by the hair transplant needle 100 will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 6, the surgeon places the abutment surface 136 of the case 134 against the surface of the patient's scalp, so that the hair to be collected is surrounded by each needle of the needle portion 116. Position 100. In this manner, since the hair transplantation needle 100 can be positioned while the case 134 is in contact with the patient's scalp 132, it is possible to collect the skin graft piece in the region where the positioning is reliably performed. For this reason, it can prevent more reliably that a skin graft piece is damaged.

  When the positioning is completed, the shaft 126 is displaced so that the shaft 126 moves forward as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. Thereby, like the flocking needle 10 of 1st Embodiment, the needle part 116 expands from the initial diameter reduction state, advancing in the scalp. Finally, when the needle portion 116 reaches the maximum puncture length, the tip of the needle portion 116 is in the most expanded state, and the base portion 112 of the holder 111 is engaged with the engaging portion 142. Then, the movement of the holder 111 in the backward direction is prohibited.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the shaft 126 is moved away from the scalp (in the direction of arrow B), the movement of the needle portion 116 in the backward direction is prohibited by the engaging portion 142. Only 126 moves relative to the needle portion 116. As a result, the tip of the needle portion 116 changes from the expanded diameter state to the reduced diameter state. For this reason, the graft piece accommodated in the needle part 116 can be reliably gripped by the needle part 116 as in the first embodiment. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the case 134 is moved in the direction of arrow C, and the needle part 116 is pulled out from the scalp. Thereby, with the state which accommodated the skin graft piece in the internal space of the needle part 116, a connection with the lower part of the hair root of a skin graft piece can be cut | disconnected completely.

  As described above, the flocking needle 100 according to the present embodiment has an advantage that positioning with respect to the hair to be collected can be performed more reliably. Furthermore, with the hair transplantation needle 100 of the present embodiment, the operation of collecting the skin graft shown in FIGS. 6 to 9 is performed in a state where the contact surface 136 of the case 134 is always in contact with the scalp 132. For this reason, the surgeon only needs to maintain the case 134 in contact with the scalp 132. Therefore, the ease of handling of the flocking needle 100 can be improved.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the flocking needle of the present invention will be described. The principle of collecting a skin graft piece with a flocking needle according to this embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment described above.

  The flocking needle according to the present embodiment further improves the ease of handling compared to the flocking needle 100 of the second embodiment described above, and the surgeon can also be operated with only one hand, for example. There are features. Hereinafter, the flocking needle according to the present embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the flocking needle 10 according to the first embodiment.

  FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the flocking needle 200 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the flocking needle 200 according to the present embodiment includes a holder 211, a shaft 226, a spring 230, a return spring 231, and a case 234.

  A through hole is formed in the case 234 in the axial direction, and the holder 211, the shaft 226, the spring 230, and the return spring 231 are accommodated in the through hole. At this time, the needle portion 216 of the holder 211 is protruded from one opening of the through hole, and the shaft 226 is protruded from the other opening.

  A contact surface 236 that contacts the patient's scalp 232 is formed around the opening of the case 234 from which the needle portion 216 protrudes. In addition, the case 234 is formed with an engagement portion 242 that engages with the base portion 212 of the holder 211 when the puncture length by the needle portion 216 reaches the maximum puncture length.

  In the internal space 238 formed in the case 234, the spring 230 is between the inner wall of the case 234 forming the internal space 238 and the flange-like base portion 212 of the holder 211, and It is provided around. For this reason, the base portion 212 of the holder 211 is always subjected to a force in the direction of pulling the needle portion 116 into the case 234 by the spring 230, that is, the direction of retracting the holder 211.

  A flange-shaped first stopper portion 227 and a second stopper portion 229 are formed on the shaft 226. The first stopper portion 227 is provided at a position that contacts the inner surface of the rear wall 240 of the case 234 in the initial state in which the holder 211 is most retracted into the case 234. Further, the second stopper portion 229 is provided at a position where the second stopper portion 229 contacts the outer surface of the rear wall 240 of the case 234 when the shaft 226 is displaced forward and the puncture length of the needle portion 216 reaches the maximum puncture length. Yes.

  The return spring 231 is provided between the base portion 212 of the holder 211 and the first stopper portion 227 of the shaft 226 in an internal space 238 formed in the case. The return spring 231 provides a force for returning the shaft 226 to the initial position when the input for displacing the shaft 226 forward disappears.

Thus, in this embodiment, the return spring 231 is used to return the shaft 226 to the initial position. For this reason, when the input for advancing the shaft 226 is given to the shaft 226, the spring coefficient of the return spring 231 needs to be taken into consideration in order for the needle portion 216 to draw a desired locus. In this case, the axial spring coefficient K _{A of} the needle portion 216, the spring coefficient K _B of the spring 230, and the spring coefficient K _C of the return spring 231 may be set so as to satisfy the following Expression 2.

(Formula 2) K _B + (K _A + K _C ) / R = 0
R = X / X _C
Even when the return spring 231 is provided, when the shaft 226 advances toward the scalp 232 by setting the respective spring coefficients so as to satisfy the relationship of the above formula 2, the tip of the needle portion 216 Can be expanded in diameter while advancing in the scalp.

  In the present embodiment, a hollow shaft 226 is used, and one end of the hollow portion is selectively connected to a negative pressure source and a positive pressure source (not shown), so that the inner space of the needle portion 216 is negatively connected. It is possible to introduce pressure or positive pressure.

  Next, referring to FIG. 11, the operation and action of each part when a skin graft including a hair root is collected by the hair transplant needle 100 and the collected skin graft is transplanted will be described. FIGS. 11A to 11D correspond to the collection process, and FIGS. 11E to 11G correspond to the transplantation process.

  First, as shown in FIG. 11 (a), the surgeon contacts the contact surface 236 of the case 234 with the surface of the patient's scalp so that the hair to be collected is surrounded by each needle of the needle portion 216. The flocking needle 200 is positioned.

  When the positioning is completed, the shaft 226 is displaced so that the shaft 226 moves forward as indicated by an arrow A in FIG. Thereby, like the flocking needle 10 of 1st Embodiment, the needle part 216 expands from an initial diameter-reduced state, advancing in the scalp. Finally, when the needle portion 16 reaches the maximum puncture length, the tip of the needle portion 16 is in the most expanded state, and the base portion 212 of the holder 211 is engaged with the engaging portion 242. Then, the movement of the holder 211 in the backward direction is prohibited.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11C, when the input for displacing the shaft 226 forward disappears and the shaft 226 moves in the direction of arrow B by the force of the return spring 231, the needle portion 216 moves backward. Since movement in the direction is prohibited by the engaging portion 242, only the shaft 226 moves relative to the needle portion 216. As a result, the tip of the needle portion 216 changes from the expanded diameter state to the reduced diameter state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a negative pressure is introduced into the internal space of the needle portion 216 through the hollow portion of the shaft 226. Thereby, coupled with the change of the distal end of the needle portion 216 from the enlarged diameter state to the reduced diameter state, the connection between the skin graft piece and the lower portion of the hair root can be more easily cut off. For this reason, the graft piece accommodated in the needle part 216 can be reliably gripped by the needle part 216 as in the first embodiment.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11D, the case 234 is moved in the direction of arrow C, and the needle portion 216 is pulled out from the scalp. Thereby, the connection with the lower part of the hair root of a skin graft piece can be completely cut | disconnected with the state which accommodated the skin graft piece in the internal space of the needle part 216. FIG.

  Thus, when the collection of the skin graft piece is completed, the collected skin graft piece is subsequently transplanted. In transplanting the skin graft piece, first, as shown in FIG. 11 (e), the flocking needle 200 is punctured at a place where transplantation is necessary. In the example shown in FIG. 11 (e), the transplanting step of the skin graft piece is started while the base portion 212 of the holder 211 is engaged with the engaging portion 242. For this reason, in the puncturing step shown in FIG. 11 (e), the needle portion 216 has already protruded most from the case 234. In this case, the needle 216 is punctured into the patient's scalp 232 by moving the case 234 in the direction of the scalp until the contact surface 236 contacts the patient's scalp 232 as indicated by an arrow D.

  However, the engagement of the base portion 212 by the engaging portion 242 may be released before the start of the transplanting process. In this case, the needle 216 is punctured into the patient's scalp 232 by moving the shaft 226 in the direction of the scalp as in the graft collecting step.

  In the skin grafting step shown in FIG. 11 (f), which is executed after the puncturing step in FIG. 11 (e), the shaft 226 is displaced to the maximum in the scalp direction as shown by the arrow E, and the tip of the needle portion 216 is expanded most To the state. Further, a positive pressure is supplied to the internal space of the needle portion 216 through the hollow portion of the shaft 226. Then, as shown in FIG. 11G, the case 234 is displaced in the direction of the arrow F, whereby the needle portion 216 is pulled out from the scalp 232 with the diameter expanded. Thereby, the skin graft piece accommodated in the internal space of the needle part 16 can be transplanted to a necessary part of the scalp.

  Since the flocking needle 200 according to the present embodiment employs the return spring 231 as described above, only the shaft 226 is opened after the puncturing step in FIG. 227 can be automatically moved to a position where it abuts against the rear wall 240 of the case 234. For this reason, when performing an extraction process of a skin graft piece, the operator can operate the hair transplant needle 200 with only one hand, for example, and the ease of handling of the hair transplant needle 200 can be further improved.

(Fourth and fifth embodiments)
Next, the fourth and fifth embodiments of the flocking needle of the present invention will be described. In the flocking needles according to the fourth and fifth embodiments, an input for displacing the shaft 226 is given to the flocking needle 200 of the third embodiment using a solenoid or pressure.

  First, as a fourth embodiment, a flocking needle in which an input for displacing the shaft 226 is given using a solenoid will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in the flocking needle of the fourth embodiment, the shaft 226 is extended rearward, and the coil 250 is arranged around the extended portion. Also. A plunger 252 made of a magnetic material is attached to an extension portion of the shaft 226.

  A member 254 that passes the magnetic flux generated by the coil 250 and forms a magnetic path is provided around the coil 250. The magnetic path in the vicinity of the shaft 226 is narrowed, and the magnetic flux density in that portion is increased. Thereby, when the coil 250 is energized, the force for pulling the plunger 252 attached to the shaft 226 is increased.

  When such a solenoid is used, in the puncturing step shown in FIG. 11B, the coil 250 can be energized to give an input for moving the shaft 226 forward. In the gripping step shown in FIG. 11C, by stopping the energization of the coil 250, only the shaft 226 can be retracted while the position of the needle portion 216 is fixed by the engaging portion 242.

  Thus, according to the flocking needle of the present embodiment, it is possible to control the forward and backward movement of the shaft only by turning on and off the power supply to the coil 250. Therefore, the operation of the flocking needle by the operator can be made simpler.

  Further, as in the case of the flocking needle of this embodiment, when the control of the forward and backward movement of the shaft can be controlled only by turning on / off the power to the coil 250, for example, the flocking needle can be operated by a robot. Become.

  The drive source for providing the input for displacing the shaft of the flocking needle is not limited to the solenoid described above, and for example, pressure can be used as the drive source.

  That is, as shown in FIG. A pressure chamber 260 defined by the second stopper portion 229 of the shaft 226 is formed, and a positive pressure is introduced into the pressure chamber 260 through the pressure introduction hole 262 or the introduced positive pressure is released. When positive pressure is introduced into the pressure chamber 260, the shaft 226 moves in the forward direction, and when the introduced positive pressure is released, the shaft 226 moves in the backward direction.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  For example, although various embodiments have been described as embodiments of the present invention, the configuration of each part of the flocking needle described in each embodiment may be applied to the flocking needles of other embodiments as necessary. good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Flocking needle 11 Holder 12 Base part 14 Guide part 16 Needle part 24 Stopper part 26 Shaft 30 Spring

Claims (12)

A hair transplant needle for collecting a skin graft including a hair root from the scalp and transplanting the collected skin graft to a necessary part of the scalp,
A shaft that moves forward or backward relative to the scalp, depending on the force it receives,
The inside is formed hollow, and the shaft is inserted into the hollow portion, thereby supporting the shaft and guiding the advance and retreat in the axial direction of the shaft; and
It is connected to the guide part and is formed in a hollow shape, and gradually decreases in diameter from the connection part with the guide part toward the tip, and is divided by a plurality of slits. The needle portion that expands greatly as the contact position approaches the tip, is punctured into the scalp when collecting the skin graft piece, and stores the skin graft piece including the hair root in its internal space;
A spring member that generates a force that resists the movement of the needle portion when the needle portion moves so as to be pierced into the scalp as the shaft advances.
When the needle part is punctured into the scalp for sampling the skin graft piece, the relationship between the spring coefficient of the needle part when the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft and the spring coefficient of the spring member Correspondingly, with the advancement of the shafts bets while the tip of the needle portion is advanced to said scalp loci changing from contracted state to the expanded state is determined,
When the diameter of the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft, the spring coefficient of the needle part is K _A , the spring coefficient of the spring member is K _B , the displacement amount of the guide part is X, and the shaft relative to the guide part is when the relative displacement amount was X _C, flocking needle and satisfies the equation 1 below.
(Equation _{1) K B + K A /} R = 0
R = X / X _C   A maximum puncture length limiting means for limiting the maximum puncture length of the needle portion into the scalp when collecting the skin graft piece, and the needle portion is punctured into the scalp as the shaft advances, 2. The flocking needle according to claim 1, wherein when the puncture length is reached, the tip of the needle portion is in the most expanded state. In order to movably accommodate the guide portion and the needle portion into which the shaft is inserted, a case in which a through hole is formed is provided,
Of the case, the surrounding portion of the through-hole opening on the side where the needle portion pops is pressed against the scalp, according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that for positioning of a portion punctured by the needle unit Flocking needle. Provided in the case, and provided with a restricting means for restricting the needle portion from moving in the direction pulled back into the case by the spring member when the needle portion has protruded the longest from the case.
When the needle part protrudes the longest from the case, the tip of the needle part has the largest diameter, and the shaft retracts from the state where the skin graft including the hair root is accommodated in the internal space, the movement of the needle part 4. The flocked needle according to claim 3 , wherein the shaft is moved relative to the guide portion by being regulated by the regulating means , and the needle portion is in a reduced diameter state. A hair transplant needle for collecting a skin graft including a hair root from the scalp and transplanting the collected skin graft to a necessary part of the scalp,
A shaft that moves forward or backward relative to the scalp, depending on the force it receives,
The inside is formed hollow, and the shaft is inserted into the hollow portion, thereby supporting the shaft and guiding the advance and retreat in the axial direction of the shaft; and
It is connected to the guide part and is formed in a hollow shape, and gradually decreases in diameter from the connection part with the guide part toward the tip, and is divided by a plurality of slits. The needle portion that expands greatly as the contact position approaches the tip, is punctured into the scalp when collecting the skin graft piece, and stores the skin graft piece including the hair root in its internal space;
A spring member that generates a force that resists the movement of the needle part when the needle part moves to puncture into the scalp as the shaft advances.
A return spring member that is provided between the shaft and the guide portion , generates a force that resists the forward movement of the shaft, and generates a force that moves the guide portion forward.
When the needle part is punctured into the scalp for collecting the skin graft piece, the spring coefficient of the needle part when expanding the tip of the needle part by the shaft, the spring coefficient of the spring member, and the return depending on the relationship between the spring constant of the spring member, the with the advancement of the shafts bets while the tip of the needle portion is advanced to said scalp loci changing from contracted state to the expanded state is determined,
When the diameter of the tip of the needle part is expanded by the shaft, the spring coefficient of the needle part is K _A , the spring coefficient of the spring member is K _B , the spring coefficient of the return spring member is K _C , the displacement X, when the relative displacement amount of the shaft relative to the guide portion and the X _C, flocking needle and satisfies the equation 2 below.
(Formula 2) K _B + (K _A + K _C ) / R = 0
R = X / X _C A maximum puncture length limiting means for limiting the maximum puncture length of the needle portion into the scalp when collecting the skin graft piece, and the needle portion is punctured into the scalp as the shaft advances, 6. The flocking needle according to claim 5 , wherein when the puncture length is reached, the tip of the needle portion is in the most expanded state. In order to movably accommodate the guide portion and the needle portion into which the shaft is inserted, a case in which a through hole is formed is provided,
The peripheral part of the through-hole opening of the case where the needle part protrudes is pressed against the scalp, and the part to be punctured by the needle part is positioned. Flocking needle. Provided in the case, and provided with a restricting means for restricting the needle portion from moving in the direction pulled back into the case by the spring member when the needle portion has protruded the longest from the case.
When the needle part protrudes the longest from the case, the tip of the needle part has the largest diameter, and the shaft retracts from the state where the skin graft including the hair root is accommodated in the internal space, the movement of the needle part 8. The flocking needle according to claim 7 , wherein the shaft is moved relative to the guide portion by being regulated by the regulating means , and the needle portion is in a reduced diameter state. A curved cam that determines the relationship between the amount of movement of the shaft and the amount of diameter expansion of the needle portion is attached to the tip portion of the shaft that contacts the inner peripheral surface of the needle portion. The flocking needle according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The shaft is formed in a hollow shape, and a negative pressure is supplied to the inside of the needle portion through the hollow portion of the shaft when the shaft is retracted from a state in which the tip of the needle portion is expanded most. The flocking needle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , further comprising supply means. The shaft forms a generally closed space inside the needle portion. When the shaft is retracted from a state where the diameter of the tip of the needle portion is the largest, negative pressure is generated inside the needle portion. The flocking needle according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , wherein The tip of the needle part is formed with incisors having a tapered surface from the inner surface side to the outer surface side of the needle portion as an inner surface and an outer surface of the needle portion as an outer surface. In the reduced diameter state, the inner surface and the outer surface of the incisor have substantially the same inclination angle with respect to the traveling direction of the needle portion, and the traveling direction in the state where the tip of the needle portion is expanded in diameter. The flocking needle according to any one of claims 1 to 11 , wherein an inclination angle of an inner side surface of the incisor with respect to is larger than an inclination angle of an outer side surface of the incisor.

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