Restoration Robotics, a robo surgeon manufacturer from California has produced the first hair transplant robot, a completely automated device to remove intact follicular units from the donor area. The company has sold its 100th ARTAS robotics system and has harvested its 10 millionth hair follicle.
The robot, called ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplant system, is designed specifically to facilitate Follicular Unit Extraction hair transplant procedures. Restoration Robotics was founded by Dr. Frederick H. Moll. The robotic hair transplant device, guided by cameras and 3-D imaging software can perform the remove of hair follicles individually at a rate of up to 1,000 per hour.
The ARTAS robot, uses a camera and analysis software to analyze a patient’s scalp and selects follicles to extract. A doctor monitors the robot and oversees the choices it makes. Once the follicles are removed the doctor manually inserts the follicle into the bald areas of the scalp. The harvesting process usually takes 6-10 hours. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved their technique for removing hair follicles.
Restoration Robotics plans to continuously evolve the revolutionary ARTAS Robotic System to eventually provide a system that can perform the complete hair transplant procedure; follicular unit extraction, storage of the follicles, and implementation of the follicular units into the patient’s donor area automatically, under the direction of a surgeon.