Needle Transportable Semi-Automatic Hair Follicle Implanter and Image-Based Hair Density Estimation for Advanced Hair Transplantation Surgery
June 2020
in “
Applied sciences
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semi-automatic hair follicle implanter hair transplantation surgery needle supply magazine adjustable motor speeds artificial scalps engraftment rate manual implanter androgen alopecia regrown hair follicles hair transplant device hair transplant surgery hair transplant needle hair transplant motor hair transplant success rate hair loss hair regrowth
TLDR A new semi-automatic hair implanter could make hair transplants easier, more successful, and more accessible.
In 2020, a study introduced a semi-automatic hair follicle implanter aimed at improving hair transplantation surgery by automating the process and reducing the physical strain on surgeons. The device features a needle supply magazine for continuous transplantation and allows for adjustable motor speeds. It was tested on artificial scalps and received medical device certifications in Korea. An animal experiment showed a 97% engraftment rate using the semi-automatic implanter compared to 70% with a manual implanter, although the sample size of four nude mice was too small for statistical significance. A clinical experiment with six male patients with androgen alopecia demonstrated a 6% higher engraftment rate for the semi-automatic implanter over the manual one, with an average of 15.2 regrown hair follicles versus 13.8. The study concluded that the semi-automatic implanter could potentially reduce hair transplant costs and increase accessibility, with no adverse reactions reported. The research was supported by a Korean government grant and involved collaboration across multiple institutions.
