Restoration Robotics, Inc.

Accuray Inc.

Mohan Bodduluri

Gabriele Zingaretti

Hui Zhang

Miguel G Canales

Shehrzad Ahmed Qureshi

Philip L Gildenberg

Donald E Caddes

Michael J Saracen

Brian E Tippett

Paul K Hsei

John A Tenney

Gopinath Kuduvalli

Clifford A Oostman, Jr

Euan Thomson

James Y Wang

Eric Earnst

Aaron W Carrano

Chris Raanes

James W McCollum

Theodore Thuong Nguyen

Shehrzad A Qureshi

George D Hermann

Joseph A Heanue

Brian Patrick Wilfley

Kyle R Breton

Franklin Timothy McArthur

Franklin Timothy Mcarthur

Douglas Kelly

Philip L Gildenborg

Kate L Bechtel

Jeffrey Bird

Frederic H Moll

James W Mccollum

Philiip L Gildenberg

James Wang

A variety of systems and methods are described which enable quantitative information to be extracted regarding automated procedures, including those performed at a high speed that may require a user input, without having to interrupt the procedure. In addition, these systems and methods serve to provide information on one or more parameters of the automated procedure, whereby they may be modified, if required, to improve the automated procedure or the results from such a procedure. The systems and methods provided are especially useful in automated hair transplantation procedures.

Methods and systems for modifying a parameter of an automated procedure

Automated systems and methods for creating a plan for performing a procedure (for example, hair transplantation) are provided. In some embodiments, the plan is generated automatically by a processor. A user interface may be configured to allow a user to input one or more of the parameters of the plan. In certain embodiments, the hair transplantation plan takes into consideration existing hair.

Automated system and method for harvesting or implanting follicular units

Automated systems and methods for removing hair from a body surface is provided. The methods and systems are semi- or fully automated. Some of the steps of the methods comprise determining a hair growth phase and selecting hair follicles for depilation based at least in part of the identified hair growth phase. The energy delivery device may be attached to the robotic arm and directed to align with the hair follicle to be depilated.

Automated system and method for hair removal

Methods and systems are provided useful in various procedures, including hair harvesting and implantation, and further including computer-implemented and/or robotic hair transplantation. Methodologies are provided which enable selection of follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites within the same row in a direction of travel of the tool, or by incrementing to another row. In various cases, such selection may be made using a lowest and closest method, overlap-based methods, position-based methods, pattern-based methods, and/or a combination of these methods. In various combinations of the methods, the output selection from one of the methods may be used as an input for one of the other methods.

Methods and systems for directing movement of a tool in hair transplantation procedures

One of the many factors that contribute to the successful outcome of a procedure, such as hair transplantation procedure, is the natural-looking appearance of hair throughout the patient's head. Methods and systems for generating a proposed procedure sites are provided, for example, based on desired density. Various methods for generating a hair transplantation treatment plan are also provided. Various techniques and methods described in the application provide for improved planning for natural looking hair.

Systems and methods for planning hair transplantation

Systems and methods for selecting follicular units in a distribution of follicular units are provided. A selection parameter, such as a distance-related parameter separating the follicular units to be selected, may be used to determine a desired quantity of follicular units to be selected, such as a desired percentage of follicular units to be selected, and to help provide a substantially uniform distribution of selected follicular units. In addition, a characteristic parameter, such as a characteristic distance or characteristic density, may be determined. The characteristic parameter may be used in determining the desired quantity of follicular units to be selected and or may be used for treatment purposes.

Systems and methods for selecting a desired quantity of follicular units

Methods and systems are provided useful in various procedures, including hair harvesting and implantation, and further including computer-implemented and/or robotic hair transplantation. Methodologies are provided which enable a tool, such as a hair harvesting or a hair implantation tool, to proceed at least under a partial computer control in a selected direction of travel along a donor or recipient area of the patient, as well as changing direction of travel based on desired harvesting and/or implantation criteria.

Automated systems and methods for operating a procedure tool to perform a procedure (for example, hair transplantation) on a body are provided. One or more mechanisms are configured to produce a combination movement of the procedure tool in response to control signals. A force sensor monitors resistance as the tool moves and transmits information from the force sensor to a computer. Movement of the procedure tool is controlled at least in part based on information from the force sensor.

Methods and systems are provided useful in various procedures, including hair harvesting and implantation, and further including computer-implemented and/or robotic hair transplantation. Methodologies are provided which enable selection of follicular unit harvesting or implanting sites. In various cases, such selection may be made using a lowest and closest method, overlap-based methods, position-based methods, pattern-based methods, and/or a combination of these methods. In various combinations of the methods, the output selection from one of the methods may be used as an input for one of the other methods.

A method of detecting a change in tension of a body surface during a medical procedure is provided. In some embodiments the method may be carried out without additional invasive devices or procedures being required. In one example the methodology is applied when using any type of body surface tensioning device. The tensioning device comprises fiducials that are visible to an image acquisition device. In another example of an embodiment of the current application, the methodology may be applied by attaching fiducials directly to the body surface. The relative motion of the fiducials relative to one another may be utilized to determine a change in body surface tension.

Method and apparatus for determining a change in tension of a body surface

Systems and methods for creating a treatment plan for cosmetic procedures, for example, a hair transplantation procedure, are provided. The treatment plan automatically modifies or generates one or more proposed harvesting or implantation sites within a first hair element based on one or more parameters in one or more second hair elements. Various techniques and methods described in the application provide for improved planning of a natural looking hair.

Methods and systems are described for hair transplantation and other surgical procedures on a body surface. Specifically, methods and systems for computer-implemented and/or robotic hair transplantation and other surgical procedures, using time constrained image processing techniques are described. In various examples, multiple images of a body surface may be divided into overlapping sub regions for comparison. In various other cases, a percentage of an image of a body surface to be processed may be adjusted based on a time constraint. In some implementations, the output of one of these methods may be used as input for the other method.

Methods and systems for hair transplantation using time constrained image processing

Systems and methods are provided for harvesting hair grafts from a body surface utilizing a removal tool comprising first and second elongated bodies. The described systems and methods serve to eliminate and/or at least minimize unnecessary compression of adjacent tissue during the removal process, thereby minimizing damage to the follicular unit being removed, reducing the opportunities for the follicular unit to intersect the path of the harvesting tool, and/or improving the quality of the removed specimen, preferably preserving its integrity.

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Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Mohan Bodduluri