Methods for harvesting follicular units using an automated system

Abstract

A method for harvesting follicular units from a body surface, includes acquiring and processing images of a body surface to identify a follicular unit on the body surface and to determine a relative position and orientation of the identified folliculat unit; using an automated system including a moveable arm to position a harvesting tool mounted on the moveable arm adjacent the identified follicular unit, based at least in part on processed image data, such that a longitudinal axis of the harvesting tool is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the follicular unit; and harvesting the follicular unit by movement of the harvesting tool relative to the body surface, wherein the images are acquired from one or more cameras mounted on the moveable arm.

1 . A method for harvesting follicular units from a body surface, comprising: 
 acquiring images of a body surface;    processing the acquired images to identify a follicular unit on the body surface and to determine a relative position and orientation of the identified follicular unit;    using an automated system including a moveable arm to position a harvesting tool mounted on the moveable arm adjacent the identified follicular unit, based at least in part on processed image data, such that a longitudinal axis of the harvesting tool is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the follicular unit; and    harvesting the follicular unit by movement of the harvesting tool relative to the body surface,    wherein the images are acquired from one or more cameras mounted on the moveable arm.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the automated system is a robotic system, and the moveable arm is a robotic arm.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the images are acquired from a single camera mounted to the robotic arm, and further comprising registering a reference coordinate system of the camera with a tool frame reference coordinate system of the robotic arm.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the camera reference coordinate system is registered with the robotic arm tool frame reference coordinate system based on images of a fixed calibration target acquired as the robotic arm is moved along one or more axes of the robotic arm tool frame reference coordinate system.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the images are acquired from a pair of cameras mounted to the robotic arm, and further comprising registering respective reference coordinate systems of the cameras with each other and with a tool frame reference coordinate system of the robotic arm.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the camera reference coordinate systems are registered with the robotic arm tool frame reference coordinate system based on images of a fixed calibration target acquired as the robotic arm is moved along one or more axes of the robotic arm tool frame reference coordinate system.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the images are acquired using respective first and second pairs of cameras mounted to the robotic arm, the first pair focused to acquire image data of a first field of view, and the second pair focused to acquire image data of a second field of view substantially narrower than the first field of view.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising registering respective reference coordinate systems of the first and second pairs of cameras with each other and with a tool frame reference coordinate system of the robotic arm.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the camera reference coordinate systems are registered with the robotic arm tool frame reference coordinate system based on images of a fixed calibration target acquired as the robotic arm is moved along one or more axes of the robotic arm tool frame reference coordinate system.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the harvesting tool is positioned by visual servoing of the robotic arm.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , farther comprising identifying the approximate physical boundaries of the identified follicular unit, including identifying a subcutaneous base region embedded in the body surface and a distal tip region extending away from the body surface.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the images include subcutaneous images.  
   
   
       13 . A method for harvesting follicular units from a body surface, comprising: 
 acquiring images of a body surfaces;    processing the acquired images to identify a follicular unit on the body surface and to determine a relative position and orientation of the identified follicular unit;    using an automated system including a moveable arm to position a harvesting tool mounted on the moveable arm adjacent the identified follicular unit, based at least in part on the processed images, such that a longitudinal axis of the harvesting tool is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the follicular unit; and    harvesting the follicular unit by movement of the harvesting tool relative to the body surface,    wherein the images are acquired using a pair of cameras, and further comprising registering respective reference coordinate systems of the cameras with each other.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the automated system is a robotic system, and the moveable arm is a robotic arm.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising registering the respective camera reference coordinate systems with a tool frame reference coordinate system of the robotic arm.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the respective camera reference coordinate systems are registered with the robotics arm tool frame reference coordinate system based on images of a fixed calibration target acquired as the robotic arm is moved along one or more axes of the robotic arm tool frame reference coordinate system.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein identifying a relative position and orientation of an identified follicular unit comprises identifying its approximate physical boundaries, including identifying a subcutaneous base region embedded in the body surface and a distal tip region extending away from the body surface.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the images include subcutaneous images.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the harvesting tool is positioned by visual servoing of the robotic arm.  
   
   
       20 . A method for harvesting follicular units from a body surface, comprising: 
 acquiring images of a body surface;    processing the acquired images to identify a follicular unit on the body surface and to determine a relative position and orientation of the identified follicular unit;    using an automated system including a moveable arm to position a harvesting tool mounted on the moveable arm adjacent the identified follicular unit, based at least in part on the processed images, such that a longitudinal axis of the harvesting tool is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the follicular unit; and    harvesting the follicular unit by movement of the harvesting tool relative to the body surface,    wherein the images are acquired using respective first and second pairs of cameras, the first pair focused to acquire images of a first field of view, and the second pair focused to acquire images of a second field of view substantially narrower than the first field of view.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising registering respective reference coordinate systems of each of the first and second pairs of cameras with each other.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the automated system is a robotic system, and the moveable arm is a robotic arm.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising registering the respective camera reference coordinate systems with a tool frame reference coordinate system of the robotic arm.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein identifying a relative position and orientation of an identified follicular unit comprises identifying its approximate physical boundaries, including identifying a subcutaneous base region embedded in the body surface and a distal tip region extending away from the body surface.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the images include subcutaneous images.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the harvesting tool is positioned by visual servoing of the robotic arm.