Restoration Robotics - trials half done!

I spend this past week trying to gather this info, and here’s a summary of my conversations with the Berman Skin Institute. I confirmed that their clinics have-been charged to conduct the Restoration Robotics study. In fact, their clinical trials have been ongoing for 2½ years and will be ongoing for another 2½ years. That puts them in the middle of phase II testing (what they refer to as protocols). They confirmed this device is a similar, but fully automated version of the Punch Hair Matic I mentioned earlier. Obviously this technology won’t increase hair counts, but it will certainly make hair transplants affordable for the regular guy just trying to pay his rent.

Here is the press release.
ROBOTS Perform Hair Transplantation?
Restoration Robotics, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA has selected David A. Berman, M.D. as the Principal Clinical Investigator to lead their FDA clinical trials using the company’s revolutionary robot device for hair transplantation procedures. Hair transplantation surgery is the most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure for men, worldwide. If you have hair loss on the crown, or top of the scalp (see photo) and would like to be paid to be a part of this study, please email clinicaltrials at bermanmd dot com or call 1-650-325-6000 to arrange a complimentary consultation to see if you qualify to become a candidate for this revolutionary procedure.

Here is the criteria:
Male between 18-65 years old
Crown recession (Hairline testing will commence in spring 09)
Dark, Straight Hair (non curly or wavy)
No previous hair transplant surgery/ procedures
No use of Rogaine or Propecia
www.bermanmd.com

Additional Info:
Also, here is the link to an article with some more info on the Restoration Robotics Technology (they don’t have a website)
http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/robots/dn13898-surgical-robot-gives-hair-transplants-a-natural-look.html

Here is the link to the Punch Hair Matic. The Restoration Robotics device is said to be a fully automated, and more efficient version of this Device.
www.medicamat.com/materiel/hair-transplant/punchhairmatic.html?L=1

Thanks for your hard work and the Info Rev !!! Thats great news…if Acell could regrow the donor area…this robotic transplant plus Acell could give everybody a full head of hair that they could afford :slight_smile:

» Thanks for your hard work and the Info Rev !!! Thats great news…if Acell
» could regrow the donor area…this robotic transplant plus Acell could give
» everybody a full head of hair that they could afford :slight_smile:

Not only that, BUT WHAT-IF this technology could be combined with something like PromoCell to inject newly-cultured Dermal Papilla Cells into the donar or even the recipient area.

Here’s a new PDF about the Restorations Robotics device being trialed at Dr Berman’s clinic.

I just got an email from the Berman Skin Institute, and I thought I’d pass it along. Since this technology is roughly 2 years away from hitting the market it has the potential to tide allot us over until a real HM cure comes along.They’re compensating participants upto 3k for their help, so signup if you can. Anyways, here’s the email.

Hello, thank you for your interest in our next study seeking FDA approval for robotic hair transplantation.

In order to qualify for this study, you will need to meet the following criteria:

  • Male with clinical diagnosis of androgenic alopecia with Norwood-Hamilton grade of V-VII (refer to Organon | Products list
  • 30-59 years old
  • Black or brown hair color
  • Straight hair
  • Agrees to cut hair short (<1mm) on the scalp in the designated study area for harvesting and implantation
  • Agrees to have two dot tattoos placed on scalp
  • Understands and provides written consent
  • Consents to post-operative follow-up (10 Days post-operative & 9 months post-operative)

The following would disqualify you from the study:

  • Hair loss not due to androgenic alopecia
  • Preponderance of grey/white hair
  • Blonde hair
  • Red hair
  • Prior history of hair restoration procedure(s) using the strip excision technique
  • history of scalp reduction surgery(ies)
  • Wavy hair
  • Bleeding diasthesis
  • use of anti-coagulation medication
  • Used finasteride (Propecia or similar medication) in the previous 6 months, or plans to use finasteride during the study
  • Used minoxidil (Rogaine or similar product) in the previous 2 weeks, or plans to use minoxidil during the study

If selected for this procedure, you would agree to have 2 small dots tattooed on your scalp. The procedure would entail implanting harvested follicles from the back of your head to a small radius around each dot. Around one dot would be transplanted hairs harvested manually, and the other would contain hairs harvested by the robot. The idea is to compare the growth patterns between manual vs. robotic extraction of hair follicles. It is important to note that this procedure has no cosmetic benefit.

The maximum compensation for participation in this study is $3,000 and requires several visits. You will first need a consultation to determine if you are an ideal candidate. If selected, you will receive $100 after the tattooing of the 2 dots, $1,000 after the procedure, $400 after your 10 day follow-up, and $1,500 after your 9 month follow-up. Participation in this study also puts you on our participant list for future studies that may be more cosmetically beneficial.

If you meet ALL of the criteria listed above with none of the disqualifications, please email (clinicaltrials at bermanmd dot com) with “RR009” in the subject line. If possible, please attach digital pictures of your head from the top, front, back, and both sides. Thanks again for your interest, and we look forward to hearing from you!

Grant Pattison
Restoration Robotics Study Coordinator
Berman Skin Institute
900 Welch Road, Suite 300
Palo Alto, CA 94304

I fail to see any value in this gimmick.

» I fail to see any value in this gimmick.
cheaper transplants. reduction in human error.

» » I fail to see any value in this gimmick.
» cheaper transplants. reduction in human error.

Donor hair is precious–you only have so much of it, and it’s never enough as it is.

I cannot see how a machine can mass produce your transplant and make the best use of your limited donor area at the same time.

It’s a gimmick.

If it goes into actual practice, mass production transplants wll be very profitable for the transplant mills–

STEP UP!, give us your money, zip, zip, zip, done, NEXT!–

but another cruel joke on their victims.

» Donor hair is precious–you only have so much of it, and it’s never enough
» as it is.
»
» I cannot see how a machine can mass produce your transplant and make the
» best use of your limited donor area at the same time.
»
» It’s a gimmick.
»
» If it goes into actual practice, mass production transplants wll be very
» profitable for the transplant mills–
»
» STEP UP!, give us your money, zip, zip, zip, done, NEXT!–
»
» but another cruel joke on their victims.

I understand what you’re saying, but I also think your comments easily translate to today’s HTs

  • You said our donor supply is precious… well I’ve seen current HT docs abuse donor supply like there’s no tomorrow.
  • You said they merely want our money/ zip us through… well that’s exactly what happens in today’s HT mills.
  • You said it’s a cruel joke… well so are today’s options.

Look, I never said this device was our salvation, but if it works it will guarantee two things currently lacking in the HT industry: consistency, and affordability.

It says that it is able to harvest individual follicles by suction, using 1 mm hollow needles. By suction? Is this a new technique? As I understand it, harvesting FU’s is a very dificult task because you must guess the direction of the hair under the skin, and if you miss, you will destroy the follicle. But if you do it by suction, then the follicle will be easily extracted “without amputation”.
I wonder why this kind of technique is not already being used by FUE surgeons (a handheld version, not a robotic one)??

edit: probably the follicle is sucked after the needle has made its job, cutting the surrounding tissue. In this case, the danger of destroying the follicles still remains, and will depend entirely on how good is the imaging software employed.

Wow, so many disqualifying factors!

Why can’t you have blond, red or white hair? Nor wavy? …

I have this funny feeling that, as is, this mechanism will only detect (be good for) dark straight hair. The reason for dark hair may be similar to why laser hair removal can only remove dark hair.

While I do have dark hair, by the time this comes out I will probably have a preponderance of white hair!!!

» Wow, so many disqualifying factors!
»
» Why can’t you have blond, red or white hair? Nor wavy? …
»
» I have this funny feeling that, as is, this mechanism will only detect (be
» good for) dark straight hair. The reason for dark hair may be similar to
» why laser hair removal can only remove dark hair.
»
» While I do have dark hair, by the time this comes out I will probably have
» a preponderance of white hair!!!

The reason I mentioned “laser hair removal” is that even if you dye your hair it doesn’t work. At least, that was the case a few years ago! Not sure if things have changed of late.

» The reason I mentioned “laser hair removal” is that even if you dye your
» hair it doesn’t work. At least, that was the case a few years ago! Not sure
» if things have changed of late.

Reason being that laser targets the dark-bulb in the root area of your hair. With blonde hair you don’t have that dark bulb that laser targets so it doesn’t work.

In this case, I’m certain robotic arm requires dark hair to distinguish it from scalp. Therefore, white people with blonde hair and darker/skinned people with dark hair probably aren’t good candidates for this robotic thiny, as it would have a hard time distinguishing between hair & scalp.

» The reason I mentioned “laser hair removal” is that even if you dye your
» hair it doesn’t work. At least, that was the case a few years ago! Not sure
» if things have changed of late.

well, I don’t know. Maybe dying doesn’t work for laser removal, but it works for the robot??.
I don’t know if the robot requires the bulb to be dark too.
I don’t know if the robot is able to see the dark bulbs under the skin.
Maybe using an infrared camera and pre-heating the hairs, it would be able to see the hair bulbs regardless of the colour???

Sorry again guys, but there will be no more updates on this topic either because rev was banned.