WO2009093274A1

WO2009093274A1 - Apparatus and method for the application of trichological prostheses

Info

Publication number: WO2009093274A1
Application number: PCT/IT2008/000038
Authority: WO
Inventors: Romano Montanari
Original assignee: Romano Montanari
Priority date: 2008-01-25
Filing date: 2008-01-25
Publication date: 2009-07-30

Abstract

An apparatus for the application of a trichological prosthesis includes a suction device provided with two air inlets (5, 5') each of which is individually controllable through a relevant shutoff lever (6, 6'), two flexible pipes (7, 7') being connected to said air inlets (5, 51) and carrying at their mobile ends two male/female terminals (8, 9) provided with a plurality of suction holes. A first male terminal (8) is shaped to reproduce approximately the shape of a human skull and a second female terminal (9) is shaped to mate the male terminal (8) with a play between the two terminals (8, 9) sufficient to the prosthesis. The relevant method for the application of the prosthesis includes the steps of: a) arranging an adhesive membrane covered on its two sides by protective films; b) activating the suction on the male terminal (8) and retaining by suction the membrane on the male terminal (8); c) removing from the membrane the accessible protective film so as to expose the glue; d) activating the suction on the female terminal (9) and retaining by suction the prosthesis on the female terminal (9) with the scalp facing outwards; e) coupling the male/female terminals (8, 9) so that the adhesive membrane sticks to the scalp; f) shutting off the suction on the male terminal (8) so as to be able to uncouple the two terminals (8, 9); g) cropping the contour of the scalp that remains retained on the female terminal (9); h) removing from the adhesive membrane the second protective film so as to expose the glue; i) positioning the prosthesis on the patient's head so that the adhesive membrane sticks to his skull; j) shutting off the suction on the female terminal (9) so as to release the prosthesis on the patient's head. Such a method results much more reliable, quicker, more precise and cleaner than the conventional manual method.

Description

"APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE APPLICATION OF TRICHOLOGICAL PROSTHESES"

The present invention relates to the field of trichological prostheses, and in particular to a novel apparatus and a relevant method that make the application of a prosthesis much more reliable, simple and quick.

It is known that different types of trichological prostheses exist, from the simple wigs that are secured through hairpins to the patient's hair, with poor results both as to stability of the application and aesthetics, to the most recent prostheses that result very natural and difficult to recognize.

The latter consist of a "scalp" formed by a very thin sheet of elastic polyurethane or the like (thickness 70-100 μm) on which the hair is fixed through a U-shaped sewing at a density of about 100 hair/cm². The contour of the scalp is manually cropped according to the shape of the hairless region of the patient's head by using a previously prepared "tracing" of said head region. Once properly shaped, the prosthesis is applied to the patient's bald head by means of a semiliquid glue (usually silicone-based) that is spread on the skull and inside the scalp. Although the aesthetic result is fully satisfactory, also this type of prosthesis has serious problems of difficult and unstable application. The main problem stems from the glue layer that is used to fix the prosthesis on the head, said layer being at least 0,6 mm thick since the manual application of the glue on the two opposite surfaces of the skull and scalp results in two layers not thinner than 0,3 mm each. Such a glue layer, all the more when silicone-based, does not allow the natural perspiration of the skin thus causing a buildup of sweat between the skin and the glue, which results in an absorption of water by the glue and a partial liquefaction thereof.

This results in severe drawbacks, first of all the loss of stability of the prosthesis where not its complete detachment, depending on the stresses that the prosthesis undergoes, the environmental temperature and the physical activity of the patient. Even if the detachment of the prosthesis does not occur, such a risk causes anyway an uneasiness in the patient in terms of uncertainty whereby he does not feel free to act as if he had natural hair. Moreover, the release of gluey liquid from the edges of the prosthesis may be a cause of nuisance and embarrassment for the patient.

On the other hand, the manual application of the glue does not allow to achieve a smaller thickness of the glue layer, neither to obtain small glue-free areas that can act as a sweat drainage system.

Finally, the time required for preparing and applying the prosthesis even by a very skilled operator is about one hour, since it is not easy to handle the prosthesis during the steps of shaping and applying it to the head, neither to prepare and apply the glue on the skull and inside the scalp. In general, the whole process is imprecise, since it relies mostly on the operator's skills, and even quite "messy" in the steps of preparing and applying the glue.

Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method which overcome said drawbacks. This object is achieved by means of a method that provides the application of the glue in the form of an adhesive membrane provided with protective films on its two sides, and preferably with drainage holes, as well as by means of an apparatus provided with two mobile mating male/female terminals, shaped to receive and retain by suction the prosthesis and the adhesive membrane. The main advantage of the method according to the present invention is the possibility of applying in a quick, clean and controlled manner a glue layer equal to the membrane thickness that indicatively ranges from 40 to 100 μm; such a thickness is equal to only 5-15% of the thickness achievable manually, and is therefore suitable to allow a proper perspiration of the skin. A second important advantage stems from the fact that with the adhesive membrane it is easy to obtain a sweat drainage system by forming a plurality of holes spread over the surface of the membrane without affecting its structural integrity.

Still another significant advantage of this method is given by the use of the shaped terminals to handle the glue and the prosthesis in all the steps of the prosthesis application process, which results in reducing the required time to just 10 minutes, simplifying the process steps and making them cleaner and more precise.

These and other advantages and characteristics of the apparatus and method according to the present invention will be clear to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, with reference to the annexed drawings wherein:

Fig.l is a perspective view of an adhesive membrane to be used in the method of the invention;

Fig.2 is a top plan view of said membrane without the protective film; Fig.3 is a front view of an apparatus to be used in carrying out the above- mentioned method;

Fig.4 is a side view of the apparatus of Fig.3;

Fig.5 is a sectional front view of the two mobile terminals of said apparatus in the mating position; and Fig.6 is a sectional side view similar to Fig.5.

With reference to Figs.1 and 2, there is illustrated an adhesive membrane to be used in the method according to the present invention. As previously mentioned, said membrane 1 consists of a glue layer, thickness indicatively ranging from 40 to 100 μm, covered on its two sides by protective films 2 (typically silicone paper or low density polythene) that allow to handle it.

The glue used in making membrane 1 can change depending on the patient's characteristics, namely skin type, sweat acidity, tendency to sweat, possible allergies and the like. Anyway, it is advisable to use a glue that is transparent, water-insoluble, water-repellent and perspirant. Examples of glues suitable for this purpose are: synthetic rubber, emulsion acrylic glue, solvent acrylic glue charged with fiberglass, and a hot melt glue based on synthetic rubbers with or without plasticizers, properly mixed and spread in order to optimize the required characteristics of perspiration, transparency and adhesiveness.

In certain instances it can be useful to provide the glue with a support substrate, in which case membrane 1 consists of a very thin sheet of polyurethane or the like (e.g. thickness 30-40 μm) coated on its two sides with glue layers that can be even thinner with respect to the case of unsupported glue (e.g. thickness 25-30 μm each).

To make easier adapting the flat membrane 1 to the curved surface of the scalp, it is preferable to provide cuts in membrane 1. Sixteen equally spaced radial cuts 3 are provided in the embodiment illustrated in Fig.2, while it is clear that there are countless possibilities of forming other cut patterns.

Moreover, as mentioned above, membrane 1 is preferably perforated, i.e. provided with a plurality of distributed holes (not shown in Fig.2), so as to obtain an effective sweat drainage system in case of excessive perspiration. The apparatus to carry out the method according to the present invention will be now described with reference to Figs.3-6.

This apparatus consists of a mobile suction machine that essentially includes a suction device, typically an electrically operated turbine preferably arranged inside a wheeled casing 4, provided with two air inlets 5, 5' each of which is individually controllable through a relevant shutoff lever 6, 6'. Two flexible pipes

7, T are connected to said air inlets 5, 5' and carry at their mobile ends two male/female terminals 8, 9, respectively, that are better illustrated in Figs.5 and 6.

As clearly shown in said figures, a first male terminal 8 is shaped to reproduce approximately the shape of a human skull and a second female terminal 9 is shaped to mate with the male terminal 8, with a play between the two terminals sufficient to receive the trichological prosthesis. For indicative purposes, terminal 8 is about 162 mm wide and about 217 mm long, and the play between the two terminals ranges from a minimum of 5 mm at the central region to a maximum of 9 mm at the peripheral region, while it is clear that said measures are not meant to be limitative.

Preferably, each terminal 8, 9 is made up of two pieces 8a, 8b and 9a, 9b respectively, for ease both of manufacturing and maintenance. More specifically, each terminal 8, 9 includes a substantially funnel-shaped first piece 8a, 9a, that is inserted with its cylindrical portion into the relevant flexible pipe 7, T and also acts as a handle, and a second piece 8b, 9b removably secured on the first piece 8 a, 9a and shaped as a convex or concave dome, respectively. In this way, the two terminals 8, 9 can be easily manufactured as four pieces molded in a plastic material, preferably transparent, and the two domes 8b, 9b can be removed for maintenance or replacement while leaving the funnels 8a, 9a mounted on the flexible pipes 7, 7'. The two domes 8b, 9b are provided with a plurality of suction holes 10, 11 suitably sized and arranged over their surface so as to achieve an effective retention by suction of the adhesive membrane and of the prosthesis, respectively.

In the light of the description above, the novel method according to the present invention for the application of a trichological prosthesis by means of the above-mentioned apparatus is readily understood. Such a method substantially includes the steps of: a) arranging an adhesive membrane covered on its two sides by protective films; b) activating the suction on the male terminal and retaining by suction said membrane on said male terminal; c) removing from the membrane the accessible protective film so as to expose the glue; d) activating the suction on the female terminal and retaining by suction a trichological prosthesis on said female terminal with the scalp facing outwards; e) coupling the two male/female terminals so that the adhesive membrane sticks to the scalp; f) shutting off the suction on the male terminal so as to be able to uncouple the two terminals; g) cropping the contour of the scalp that remains retained on the female terminal; h) removing from the adhesive membrane the second protective film so as to expose the glue; i) positioning the trichological prosthesis on the patient's head so that the adhesive membrane sticks to his skull; and j) shutting off the suction on the female terminal so as to release the prosthesis on the patient's head.

It should be noted that even in case the membrane is perforated, the retention in step b) is made possible by the presence of the protective film in contact with the terminal that closes the drainage holes of the membrane. Furthermore, it is clear that the sequence of the first four steps is not binding since, for example, step d) could be performed first, or between steps a) and b) or between steps b) and c).

Finally, information about the type of membrane 1 and/or its usage modes could be written on a label applied to one of the protective films 2, or to both, or even printed directly on the protective film(s) 2.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the application of a trichological prosthesis, characterized in that it includes a suction device provided with two air inlets (5, 5') each of which is individually controllable through a relevant shutoff lever (6, 6'), two flexible pipes (7, 7') being connected to said air inlets (5, 5') and carrying at their mobile ends two male/female terminals (8, 9) provided with a plurality of suction holes (10, 11), a first male terminal (8) being shaped to reproduce approximately the shape of a human skull and a second female terminal (9) being shaped to mate said first male terminal (8) with a play between the two terminals (8, 9) sufficient to receive said trichological prosthesis.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the suction device is arranged inside a wheeled casing (4).

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the suction device is an electrically operated turbine.

4. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the male terminal (8) is about 162 mm wide and about 217 mm long.

5. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the play between the two terminals (8, 9) ranges from a minimum of 5 mm at the central region to a maximum of 9 mm at the peripheral region.

6. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each terminal (8, 9) includes a substantially funnel-shaped first piece (8a, 9a), suitable to be inserted with its cylindrical portion into the relevant flexible pipe (7, 7'), and a second piece (8b, 9b) removably secured on said first piece (8a, 9a) and shaped as a convex or concave dome, respectively.

7. Apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the terminals (8, 9) are made of transparent plastic material.

8. Method for the application of a trichological prosthesis by means of an apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes the steps of: a) arranging an adhesive membrane (1) covered on its two sides by protective films (2); b) activating the suction on the male terminal (8) and retaining by suction said membrane (1) on said male terminal (8); c) removing from the membrane (1) the accessible protective film (2) so as to expose the glue; d) activating the suction on the female terminal (9) and retaining by suction a trichological prosthesis on said female terminal (9) with the scalp facing outwards; e) coupling the two male/female terminals (8, 9) so that the adhesive membrane (1) sticks to the scalp; f) shutting off the suction on the male terminal (8) so as to be able to uncouple the two terminals (8, 9); g) cropping the contour of the scalp that remains retained on the female terminal (9); h) removing from the adhesive membrane (1) the second protective film (2) so as to expose the glue; i) positioning the trichological prosthesis on the patient's head so that the adhesive membrane (1) sticks to his skull; and j) shutting off the suction on the female terminal (9) so as to release the prosthesis on the patient's head.

9. Adhesive membrane (1) for step a) of the method according to claim 8, characterized in that it consists of a glue layer having a thickness ranging from 40 to 100 μm.

10. Adhesive membrane (1) for step a) of the method according to claim 8, characterized in that it consists of a very thin sheet of polyurethane or the like coated on its two sides with glue layers.

11. Adhesive membrane (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the thickness of the sheet of polyurethane or the like ranges from 30 to 40 μm.

12. Adhesive membrane (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the thickness of each glue layer ranges from 25 to 30 μm.

13. Adhesive membrane (1) according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that it includes a plurality of cuts suitable to make easier adapting the membrane (1) to the curved surface of the scalp.

14. Adhesive membrane (1) according to claim 13, characterized in that it includes sixteen equally spaced radial cuts (3).

15. Adhesive membrane (1) according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that it is perforated.

16. Adhesive membrane (1) according to one of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that it is made with a glue that is transparent, water-insoluble, water-repellent and perspirant.

17. Adhesive membrane (1) according to one of claims 9 to 16, characterized in that it is made with a glue that is selected from the group including: synthetic rubber, emulsion acrylic glue, solvent acrylic glue charged with fiberglass, and hot melt glue based on synthetic rubbers with or without plasticizers.

18. Adhesive membrane (1) according to one of claims 9 to 17, characterized in that information about the type of membrane (1) and/or its usage modes is written on a label applied to at least one of the protective films (2).

19. Adhesive membrane (1) according to one of claims 9 to 17, characterized in that information about the type of membrane (1) and/or its usage modes is printed directly on at least one of the protective films (2).