Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HAIR IMPLANTATION METHOD AND DEVICE
The present invention relates to improvements in
devices for the imp]antation of artificial hair directly into
human skin and to an improved method for this procedure.
More specially and in broad aspect, the present
invention relates to a hair implantation device comprising a
metallic hair implanting needle having an engaging part for
engaging a hair root part of a strand of artificial hair at a
tip end of the needle, and an external cylinder housing the hair
implanting needle, and a high frequency electric current gen-
eratin~ device in electric circuitry connection with the hair
implanting needle, and a switch for selectively supplying high
frequency current from the generating device to the needle
momentarily when the needle carrying the hair root part of
artifi~ial hair is inserted into a subs~rate,
Additionally in broad aspect the present invention
zo relates to a method for implanting a strand of artificial hair
into human skin comprising positioning a hair root part of a
strand of artificial hair at a tip end of a metallic hair
implanting needle, and inserting the ~ip end of the needle and
the hair root part into the skin while simultaneously and
momentarily passing high frequency electric current through the
needle
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DISCU`SSION OF PRIOR ART
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Several proposals concerning improvement of hair
implantat:Lon devices for loop shaped artificial hair directly
to humarl skin have been proposed.
One of these proposals is described and claimed in
Applicant's U.S. Patent 4,378,019 which provides a hair implan-
tation device wherein a tip end of a hair implanting needle which
is freely slideable in an external cylinder is bifurcated and
a looped hair root part
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engaged to the bifurcated part is pierced into skin during
hair implantation. Although a relatively high success rate
was realized by the device, yet the device was insufficient
because of its still high falling rate of implanted hair
within about one month after hair implantation. Usually,
fibrous connecting tissue grows around an implanted hair
pierced into subcutaneous tiss~e by the effect of a foreign
matter, and implanted hair is first completely fixed when
the hair root part is enclosed by the grown connecting tis-
sue. About one month is usually necessary for the complete
growth of the fibrous connecting tissue; while the growth of
the fibrous connecting tissue is yet insufficient, the imp-
lanted hair is liably pulled of~ by a strong pulling force.
THE PRESENT INVENTION
A feature of one embodiment of the present invention is
to provide a hair implantation d~vice and method capable of
obtaining higher success rate in the stage of immediately
after implantation of artificial hair by feeding high fre-
~uency current simultaneously with hair implantation coagu-
lating subcutaneous tissue containing a looped hair root
part by heating, and to prevent falling off of implanted
hair while the growth of fibrous connecting tissue by the
effect of a foreign matter is yet insufficient by giving at
the same time with hair implantation a slight burn to the
hair implanted part engaging the hair temporarily to the
fibrous connecting tissue formed by the restoration of the
burn in the course of about one week.
According to the present invention, a hair implantation
~device consists of a metallic hair implanting needle provi-
ded with an engaging part for a hair root part of artificial
hair to a tip end of the needle and an external cylinder
enclosing the foot of the needle, the present invention is
characterized in order to achieve the above-described object
by connecting the above described hair implanting needle to
a high frequency current generating device providing simul-
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taneously a switch device for feeding high frequency current
momentarily when the hair implanting needle is pierced into
skin together with artificial hair, in a circuit connecting
the hair implanting needle to a power source of the above-
described high frsquency generating device.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present
there is provided a method of securing a strand of artifi-
cial hair comprising providing a strand of artificial hair
having a hair root portion, attaching the same to a metallic
needle having a tip end, inserting the tip end of the needle
and the hair root beneath the surface of a substrate and
providing a momentary high frequency electric current
through the needle.
'BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. l - Fig. 3 illustrate examples of the hair
implantation device in accordance with the present inven-
tion. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the hair implantation
device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged figure of a part of a tip end
of a hair implanting needle. Fig. 3 is a drawing presenting
a general concept of a high frequency generating device.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating another Example.
Figs. 5 and 6 are drawings illustrating the state during use
of the hair implantation device in accordance with the pre-
sent invention.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED ENBODIMENT
Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 illustrate an Example of a hair
implantation device provided with a hair implanting needle
fitted freely slidably to a hollow external cylinder.
INamely, in Fig. 1, l is a hair implanting needle having a
bi~urcated tip end as illustrated by an enlarged Figure
(Fig. 2) constituting an engaging part 2 which engages a
looped hair root part 1 oE artificial hair 20. The foot of
the hair implanting needle 1 is housed freely slidably in a
central hole 6 of a hollow
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external cylinder 3 consisting of an insulating material such
as plastic. A hind end o~ the hair implanting needle l is
built-in in a cap 5 provided with a hollow groove 16 and fixed.
The diameter o~ an external cylinder 3 of the cap 5 is reduced
forming a step 14 for engaging a spring 4. Further, the
diameter of the foot of the external cylinder 3 is also reduced
forming a step 15 for engaging the spring 4, and the end of
the external cylinder 3 is inserted freely slidably into a
hollow groove 16 of the cap 5. Between the step 14 of the cap
5 and the step 15 of the external cylinder 3, there is a spring.
4 having an impetus to move the both always in the opposite
direction.
A metallic annular contact 7 is embedded in the middle
part of the barrel of the external cylinder 3. The inside
surface of the annular contact 7 is on the same level as the
central hole 6 of the external cylinder 3. Therefore, the
contact is exposed to the central hole 6 connecting electri-
cally to the hair implanting needle l sliding in the central
hole 6. Further, a projection is formed on the annular
contact 7 constitutlng a terminal 8 exposing to the outside
of the external cylinder 3.
The terminal 8 is connected to a cord l9 connected to a
hereunder described high frequency generating device 32 by a
connector ll provided with a cylindrical spring contact 13 in
a connector cover 12.
Further, a part of the side face of the foot of the
external cylinder 3 is removed by engraving to form a sliding
groove 17. On one hand, an end of a stopping pin 18 screw-
fitted to the cap 5 reaches the sliding groove 17 preventing
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relative movement of the external cylinder 3 and the cap 5
in the revolutional direction, thus restricting tha distance
of protrusion of the hair implanting needle 1 when the cap 5
is pushed.
Fig. 3 illustrates a high frequency generating device
32 installed with a hair implantation device 10 in accor-
dance with the present invention. The high frequency
generating device 32 consists of a high frequency oscillator
]o 33, an amplifier 34, and a output circuit 35, and the maxi-
mum output is usually 20 W; generated frequency is usually
from 0.5 MHz to 10 MHz. Particularly, a foot switch 36 is
provided in the circuit connecting the power source (not
shown) to the hair implantation device 10, and a timer
device 42 is also provided which feeds current for a certain
time after closing the circuit by stepping the foot switch
36 and opening the circuit thereafter.
Fig. 4 illustrates another Example wherein a hair
implanting needle is inserted into an external cylinder
consisting of an insulating material and fixed thereto. The
foot of the hair implanting needle 1 having a bifurcated
engaging part Z at the tip end is embedded in a central hole
6' of an external cylinder 3' consisting of an insulating
material and fixed. A metallic contact 7; is built-in at
the end of the external cylinder 3, which is connected to
the hair implanting needle 1. A protrusion is provided to
the contact 7' and the contact 7' is exposed to the outside
of the external cylinder 3' constituting a terminal 8.
The terminal 8 is connected to a high frequency genera-
'ting device 32 containing a foot switch 36 and a timer dev-
ice 42 similarly to the device of the above-described
Example 1 by a
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connector 11 containing a cylindrical spring contact 13 ln a
connector cover 12.
When the device i~ used, a counter electrode plate 37
connected to the terminal 38 of a high frequency generating
dev.ice 32 provided also ~ith cushioning sponge 40 bonded to
the rear surface is, as illustrated by ~igs. 3 and 5, laid
under a head o~ a patient contacting with the skin of the
patient, and the terminal 39 is connected to a connector 11 of
the hair implantation device 10 through a cord 19. After
]o engaying a hair root part 21 of artificial hair 20 to an
engaging part 2 at the tip end of the hair implanting needle
1, the tip end of the hair implanting needle 1 is attached to
the skin where hair is to be implanted, and the cap is pushed
downward.
The hair implanting needle 1 slides through the external
cylinder 3 and the tip end is pierced through the epide~s 22
and corium 23 deep into s~x~taneous tissue 24. In this stage,
the tip end of the hair implanting needle 1 is adjusted so as
to reach just the surface of galea aponeurotica 25 consisting
of ~irm fibrous tissue covering the surface of skull 26 by
adjusting the position of the stopping pin 18.
When, in this stage, the circuit is closed by stepping
the,foot switch 36, momentary feed of high frequency current
is generated to cause-coagulation by heating 27 the subcuta-
neous tlssue contacting with the tip end of the hair implanting
needle 1 capturing t~ereby the looped hair root part 21
prevent.ing thus alling of implanted hair root part.
If in this stage, a large current is fed, or a current
feeding time is too long, the coagulation propagates to the
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surface of the skin. Accordingly, in order to cause selective
coagulation of the part of the subcutaneous tissue only where
the hair root part 21 is present, it is necessary to adjust
the timer device 42 so as to feed the current for from 0.1 sec
to 2 sec, preferably, for from 0.2 sec to 0.3 sec when a high
~requency generating device having 20 W maximum output
generating from 1 MHz to 2 MHz frequency is used.
When the wound is closed and the growth of fibrous
connectiny tissue begins around the looped hair root part 21
by the e~fect of burn immediately after hair implantation, the
hair root part 21 is held by the subcutaneous tissue 24, so
falling off of the implanted artificial hair will be prevented.
If about one month is elapsed, the growth of the fibrous
connecting tissue will progress further by the effect of a
foreign matter, and the implanted hair root part 21 will be
fi~ed firmly to the galea aponeurotica 25 by the combined
effect with the fibrous connecting tissue formed by the burn.
Thus, firm fixing of the artificial hair is accomplished.
As it may be apparent by the above-described explanation,
falling of artificial hair immediately after hair implantation
oc;curs hardly because only the part of the subcutaneous tissue
contacting with the looped hair root part is coagulated by
feeding hi~h ~requency current simultaneously with halr
implantation by the device in accordance with the present
invention, and the hair root part is held also by the fibrous
connecting tissue generated by the burn. Moreover, since the
coagulated part by the heating is so small as from 1 mm to 2 mm,
the restoration of the injured tissue is quick, and the success
rate is improved remarkably.
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