Hair Transplant Robot For Follicular Unit Extraction

Hair Transplant Robot For Follicular Unit Extraction

What is follicular unit extraction? Follicular unit extraction (FUE), also known as follicular transfer (FT), is one of two primary methods of obtaining follicular units, naturally-occurring groups of one to four hairs, for hair transplantation. The other method of follicle harvesting is known as strip harvesting and this was the earliest form of follicular extraction.

What is follicular unit extraction? Follicular unit extraction (FUE), also known as follicular transfer (FT), is one of two primary methods of obtaining follicular units, naturally-occurring groups of one to four hairs, for hair transplantation.

The other method of follicle harvesting is known as strip harvesting and this was the earliest form of follicular extraction.

Difference Between FUE And Strip Harvesting

The difference between FUE and strip harvesting? During FUE individual follicles are extracted from a designated donor area on a hair restoration patient's body.

The follicles are removed one at a time. Strip harvesting is when a strip of skin if removed from the patient's donor site and then dissected into many individual follicles.

Advantages & Disadvantages Of FUE And Strip Harvesting

The follicular units obtained by either method are the basic building blocks of follicular unit transplantation. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.

While FUE is very time consuming (taking several hours) and may require multiple sessions for a doctor to remove the many hundreds or thousands of tiny 2-6 hair follicle groups required for a natural looking transplant, it does not leave a noticeable scar across the back of the head which the older strip harvesting technique often does.

FUE requires less recovery time then strip harvesting, but unfortunately not all hair transplant patients are not good FUE candidates. Also, FUE has a higher risk of transection which happens with a healthy follicle is sliced up because it's hard to determine where the follicle should be placed. Transection means that the healthy follicle is lost forever.

Artas System - Hair Transplant Robot For FUE

To resolve the drawbacks with FUE, which is often the most higher desirable option, Restoration Robotics Inc. says it has a better way with their Artas System. The FDA has approved the Artas Robot for people with straight black or brown hair. It is not available for blondes or redheads or anyone with natural texture. The FDA has provided its 510 (k) premarket notification, which means a device is available for sale.

The Artas system has an image-guided robotic arm, special imaging technologies for guiding follicle-unit removal, small dermal punches, and a computer interface. It also corrects for slight patient motions.

The robot is expected to make FUE faster and easier on both the patient and the doctor. And because manual FUE is a very difficult technique to master, the robot is expected to make FUE easier to learn. Restoration Robotics says the cost of the device should be offset by the savings a doctor will realize from being able to do more FUE procedures with fewer assistants.

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