Introduciendo el ARTAS System

BEFORE AND AFTER

Patient Results

LB-45667 Rev. APhotos courtesy of the Hair Sciences Center of Colorado, James A.Harris, MD, FACS LB-46352 Rev. A

Larry – 10 months after, 3244 grafts, Norwood 6

BEFORE AFTER

Kevin – 9 months after, 2228 grafts, Norwood 5A

BEFORE AFTER

Matt – 9 months after, 1995 grafts, Norwood 6

BEFORE AFTER

Je� – 9 months after, 1066 grafts, Norwood 3A

BEFORE AFTER

www.artashair.com LB-46056 Rev. A

PROUD PROVIDER OF THE

Recognized as the 2013 Best New Product in the Medical/Science Category

About the Edison Awards™

The Awards have been recognizing and honoring the best in innovations and innovators since 1987. They honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation.

Ask us for details about how this award-winning robotic technology can help you regain a thicker, permanent head of hair.

THE ARTAS ROBOTIC SYSTEM RECOGNIZEDAS 2013 EDISON AWARD WINNER Restoration Robotics Honored with Gold Medal at Prestigious Innovation Award Ceremony

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 26, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Restoration Robotics, Inc. today announced that its revolutionary ARTAS® System has been honored with the Gold medal at the 26th Edison Awards, the international awards ceremony honoring innovators and innovation, in the science/medical category. The Edison Awards, which were presented yesterday at the 2013 Edison Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner, are among the most prestigious accolades presented to innovative new products, services, and designs. The awards celebrate human creativity and excellence in achievement, and recognize leading innovations in the spirit of ingenuity embodied by Thomas Alva Edison. The ARTAS Robotic System is the first and only FDA-cleared, physician-controlled, computer-assisted technology for hair transplantation. This minimally invasive solution offers patients permanent results with no linear scar. The system's robotic precision offers hair restoration physicians and patients unprecedented levels of safety, efficacy, and patient comfort. "We are honored and pleased that our technology has garnered such prestigious recognition at the Edison Awards," said Jim McCollum, CEO & President of Restoration Robotics. "This award reaffirms the ARTAS System as a significant and cutting-edge innovation at the forefront of hair restoration technology." The Edison Awards are selected from among innovators and industry leaders in 15 categories through an intensive vetting process. Finalists are chosen by members of the Edison Award Steering Committee, a panel comprised of over 3,000 senior business executives and academics from across the nation. These panelists evaluate nominations according to the awards criteria of concept, value, delivery, and impact. About the Edison Awards™ The Edison Awards is a program conducted by Edison Universe, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering future innovators. The Awards have been recognizing and honoring the best in innovations and innovators since 1987. They honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation. For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com. About Restoration Robotics Restoration Robotics, Inc., a privately held medical device company, is dedicated to revolutionizing the field of hair transplantation by developing and commercializing its state-of-the-art image-guided ARTAS® System. This interactive, computer assisted system uses image guided technology and precision robotics to enhance the quality of hair follicle harvesting for the benefit of physicians and their patients. To learn more about the ARTAS System and its unique technology, visit www.restorationrobotics.com or www.artashair.com. CONTACT: Audra B. Friis (917) 519-9577 [email protected]

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WHITE PAPERS

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❚ March/April 2014 | prime-journal.com

PRomotion

RestoRation Robotics, inc., the company that developed the aRtas Robotic system, is at the forefront in hair restoration. Follicular

unit extraction (FUe) procedures have progressed from using labour-intensive handheld instruments to the computer-assisted, image-guided robot.

This innovative technology offers benefits in three key areas; precision, control, and reproducibility. It dissects follicular units accurately and consistently — hundreds to thousands of times in a single session. Visualising the surface in three dimensions, the ARTAS Robotic System uses programmed algorithms to select and extract the most robust follicles. Only what is necessary is harvested, physicians can adjust settings without interrupting the procedure, and the robot is able to compensate for patient movement.

A clinically-validated procedureThe ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplant is turning out to be a highly profitable clinically-validated procedure that can be incorporated into an existing aesthetic practice to attract a whole new segment of patients.

James A. Harris, MD, FACS, Medical Director, The Hair Sciences Center of Colorado in Greenwood Village, CO, has been using the system for over 7 years. ‘The robot addresses patients’ goals of what FUE offers,

the aRtas® Robotic system, the first and only FDa-cleared robotic hair transplant technology, is breaking new ground. Wendy Lewis spoke to three leading surgeons for insights into how this technology is transforming their approach to hair restoration

ROBOTIC SURGERY REVOLUTIONISES THE TREATMENT OF HAIR LOSS

which is less pain, more predictable clinical results, no linear scar, and the latest new technology.’

By shortening the learning curve of FUE, the ARTAS Robotic System allows physicians to achieve a level of proficiency that would typically require years of practice with manual techniques. ‘From the perspective of the physician, even if you perform FUE already, using the robot gives you superior quality grafts. It may take 6–12 months to become proficient at FUE by hand. The ARTAS System offers close to immediate ability to provide grafts at a reasonable speed, without the need for clinical skills and eye–hand coordination,’ he continued.

Another advantage to the physician is that fewer personnel are needed as compared to a strip harvest technique. The robot is able to determine how hair grows in the donor area, and can then map out the locations of the hairs, including the angle of growth. According to Harris, ‘The difference is really how the hair is extracted from the donor area. Traditionally, hair transplants involve the removal of a strip of skin and a team of technicians to remove grafts one by one. The ARTAS System removes the grafts one at a time directly from the donor area, which is less invasive.’ As a result, patients also have a relatively quick recovery time.

According to Dr Marc R. Avram, clinical professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New

York City, ‘The ARTAS System allows us to accurately and efficiently harvest individual follicular units. It has been particularly helpful for patients who like to wear their hair short where a visible donor scar would be of cosmetic concern, and also for patients who prefer not to have sutures following surgery.’

Paul T. Rose, MD, JD, a hair restoration surgeon in Miami, believes that for physicians who have difficulty mastering manual FUE, the robot is the best alternative. ‘It has the ability to perform repetitive manoeuvres that would otherwise be very physically taxing on a person trying to do it day in and day out. Overall I think that the robotic device can out pace the manual technique,’ he said.

This allows physicians to introduce a new procedure into their practices quickly. But Harris cautions that just having the machine and someone to operate it will not necessarily produce satisfactory results:

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‘Physicians still need to learn about hair disease, medical intervention, surgical technique, and aesthetic considerations.’

ARTAS Hair Studio™ The ARTAS Hair Studio™ 3-D modelling software is a new interactive consultation patient tool. With a viewable touchscreen, ARTAS Hair Studio allows patients to collaborate with their physician through the aesthetic hair pattern design process. The personalised design is transferred to the ARTAS Robotic System for precise recipient site creation on the patient’s scalp.

Harris is part of the team that evaluated the development of ARTAS Hair Studio. ‘One of the difficulties we have in hair restoration is how to describe the kind of result the patient may get with a certain number of grafts. Until now, they have had to imagine it on their head. With this new tool, we can look at the patient’s head and determine how many grafts they may need, and be able to show them exactly what they are going to look like in 6 months if we do, for example, 1500 grafts in a specific area,’ he said.

According to Harris, ‘If someone is considering a procedure, as the surgeon I have to be honest about the realities of hair restoration. So, if they need 2000 grafts but they only want to pay for 1000, I may choose not do the surgery because the patient isn’t going to get results that he wants. If they can only afford 1000 but they need 2000, I may suggest placing 1000 grafts in a smaller area so it looks decent. With the ARTAS Hair Studio, the patient can decide if they can accept the results of the 1000 grafts as they can get an accurate look at what the transplant may look like. It is an

amazing tool for planning outcomes.’ This innovative tool gives patients confidence because they can visualise simulated results.

There are numerous patient benefits for the ARTAS Procedure. The minimally-invasive procedure offers low downtime, is virtually pain-free, and there is no linear scar, tissue excision, or stitches needed. The ability to wear hair in any style, short or long, is a major plus. Results are natural-looking with faster recovery times. According to Harris, the procedure is comfortable and easily tolerated. ‘Some patients watch movies on their iPhones. I normally sedate my patients so they can sleep for the whole procedure.’

Raising awareness of FUERestoration Robotics is raising consumer awareness of FUE, and they have expanded it so that more people are seeking treatment. ‘Now that there is an option where patients don’t have to take skin out of their scalp, they want FUE. I now do 12 to 16 cases with the robot per month,’ said Harris, and he is seeing patients from all over the world. He describes the flow chart, as he calls it, of how patients find out about ARTAS. ‘They start thinking about hair restoration and looking at treatments online. Then they look into surgical options, and find out about FUE. When they read up on FUE, they learn about the robot. The technology is grabbing a lot of people; 90% are interested in FUE and 80% or more are interested in the ARTAS Procedure.’

According to Avram, the majority of his hair transplant consultation patients are aware of the robot as an option. ‘We discuss both the robot and elliptical donor harvesting with

each of our patients. Many patients opt to pursue the ARTAS, while others continue to do the ellipse.’

‘For patients averse to having a linear scar, the robotic approach is very comforting to them. The thought of having a linear scar on the posterior scalp discourages some patients from pursuing transplantation,’ said Avram. ‘If a patient chooses to shave their hair, after the procedure there will be no linear scar on the back of the scalp or any evidence of where hair was transplanted on the frontal scalp.’

Practice differentiatorThe ARTAS Robotic System lets physicians take hair restoration technology to a new level, and is a real point of difference. It represents a new way to attract prospective patients who would not normally consider hair restoration surgery, owing to recovery time and visible scarring, among other factors.

‘In large part the robotic procedure is meeting patient expectations,’ according to Rose. ‘Patients are pleased with the healing of the wounds and the ability to wear their hair shorter than they might be able to with a strip harvest. Patients are intrigued by the robotic approach and this alone brings potential patients into the office.’

‘By having the robotic system I believe that patients have the sense that we are in the vanguard; offering the latest advances for hair replacement. It shows that we are willing to make the capital expenditure to offer patients all of the techniques that have been proven to work. It is a marketing advantage,’ said Rose.

Further information www.artashair.com

“The minimally-

invasive procedure offers low

downtime, is virtually

pain-free, and there is no linear scar,

tissue excision, or stitches

needed.”

eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishingservices to the University of California and delivers a dynamicresearch platform to scholars worldwide.

Dermatology Online JournalUC Davis

Title:Follicular unit extraction with the Artas robotic hair transplant system system: an evaluation ofFUE yield

Journal Issue:Dermatology Online Journal, 20(4)

Author:Rashid, Rashid M, Mosaic Clinic Hair Transplant Center

Publication Date:2014

Publication Info:Dermatology Online Journal

Permalink:http://escholarship.org/uc/item/0w5620q5

Keywords:Follicular unit extraction, fue, hair restoration, hair transplant, hair graft quality, artas, robotics,robotic surgery, robotic hair transplant, neograft

Local Identifier:doj_22341

Abstract:Hair transplants were developed and championed by dermatologists. However, dermatologyliterature has few contributions from within our specialty. In this manuscript, we present ourevaluation of a specific graft harvesting approach for hair transplants referred to as Follicular unitextraction (FUE). In particular, we sought to evaluate the rate of harvest attempts that did notproduce an actual hair folliclular unit graft.

Copyright Information:

Copyright 2014 by the article author(s). This work is made available under theterms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs3.0 license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

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Volume 20 Number 4 April 2014

Letter

Follicular unit extraction with the Artas robotic hair transplant system system: an evaluation of FUE yield

Rashid M. Rashid MD PhD

Dermatology Online Journal 20 (4): 19

Mosaic Clinic Hair Transplant Center

Correspondence:

Rashid M. Rashid MD PhD Mosaic Clinic Hair Transplant Center 2401 Yale St. #2a Houston, TX 77008

Keywords: Follicular unit extraction, fue, hair restoration, hair transplant, hair graft quality, artas, robotics, robotic surgery, robotic hair transplant, neograft

Abstract Hair transplants were developed and championed by dermatologists. However, dermatology literature has few contributions from within our specialty. In this manuscript, we present our evaluation of a specific graft harvesting approach for hair transplants referred to as Follicular unit extraction (FUE). In particular, we sought to evaluate the rate of harvest attempts that did not produce an actual hair folliclular unit graft.

Introduction The FUE is a method of individual hair graft harvesting that is an alternative to the traditional scalpel harvesting approach [1]. FUE is increasing in popularity [2] because it does not leave a linear scar. However, this approach presents many hurdles. Until recently, the most common hurdle was the difficult and time consuming nature of the manual approach to FUE. Now, devices like Neograft and Artas have helped overcome these limitations. However, graft quality can suffer dramatically in the hands of an inexperienced team that is not aware of the limitations of the machines. Previously, we described some of these limitations using the Neograft device, and a method to overcome them, in an earlier manuscript [3]. In this manuscript, our center measured graft loss using the Artas harvesting process.

Figure 1. The Artas robotic hair transplant system targeting and punch-coring hair grafts. A technician stands by to remove grafts.

The Artas device automatically selects and harvests the follicular unit grafts and performs the motion without human intervention (Figure 1). The Artas robotic activity involves a punch and core motion that leaves the grafts in the scalp. The grafts remain in the scalp (Figure 2), but are loose and ready for a gentle manual pluck with a forcep to transfer them to a holding medium. However, the device is not able to determine if it has completed a proper harvest and does not assess the quality of the grafts harvested. Grafts could be incompletely punched, improperly cored, transected, or sucked up into the holding chamber (Figure 3) leaving a gap with no graft at the harvest site (Figure 4). Other types of damage can occur in such a way that could affect viability.

Figure 2. The monitoring screen showing blue marks of sites that have been punched and cored. Grafts remain in the scalp ready for removal.

Figure 3. The collection chamber for grafts that are inadvertently suctioned out of the scalp during the robotic motions

Figure 4. The Monitoring screen showing a site that has has been punched and cored, but has no graft. This is noted by the hole seen as a

round black gap.

Despite the limitations, the Artas produces an automated motion that relieves the physician of the physical strain and repetitive motion injury that can occur from manual FUE. As a result of this time and strain relieving motion, the Artas device is a pay-per-attempt device that charges the clinic (and thus the patient) per attempt/motion to harvest and not per actual successful harvest.

Owing to the lack of graft evaluation capability, the Artas FUE process still requires careful physician monitoring to evaluate the harvesting process. The difficulties in monitoring the procedure and improper harvests can further be augmented in situations that involve poor patient candidates. These candidates include patients too large to sit in the Artas chair (Figure 5), patients unable to hold still for long periods of time, patients with prior hair transplant scars, or patients with scalp dermatitis or other scalp deformities. It is because of the above that we chose to evaluate harvest attempts in relation to actual yield.

Figure 5. The Artas robot chair.

We selected 3 consecutive patients considered more ideal candidates based on excluding the aforementioned scalp issues. We looked at the first 3 harvesting grids for each patient. The number of graft harvest attempts per grid ranged from 128-151 attempts. On visual evaluation of the screen, we determined how many grafts remained in the scalp and stood ready to be extracted after the Artas harvest attempt. We found that gaps occurred in an average of 5.8% of harvest attempt sites. A gap was defined as a harvest attempt site that had no visible graft. The Artas has a collection chamber for possible grafts that have been over-harvested and suctioned into the system, thus designed to resolve the lost grafts and gap issue. In this chamber, we found approximately 40% of the gaps had a recoverable graft. After recovering these grafts from the chamber, we found the true missing number of grafts to be an average of 2.4%. This true missing number represents gaps that had no recoverable graft.

The relevance of this is multi-fold. Most FUE devices are manually controlled. Therefore, if you have a hair transplant case of 1000 grafts, and during the counts you find only 900 quality grafts, then you extract 100 more. The only cost is the extra time. This time adds stress on the team and also increased time out of body for the initially harvested grafts. However, the Artas is pay per use and per harvest attempt. It is not clear what the quality and survival is for the grafts in the chamber. So if the targeted transplant grafts harvested are lower than promised, it is not clear where the difference comes from. With these advanced devices, doing 100 extra grafts to cover gaps or quality issues adds both time and cost to the case. To overcome such issues, some centers choose to offer services based on area transplanted, allowing for a margin of safety in time and costs. However, many centers charge by the graft. When charging by the graft, centers sometimes charge by the attempt, whereas others charge by the actual grafts collected. It is clear that one dramatic improvement would be the ability to determine actual graft viability instantly during the procedure. This would assessment of the grafts collected in the chamber permit nearly 100% collection rates, improving outcomes and reducing costs.

With robotics, the potential to produce high quality FUE based hair transplants is now on the horizon. The Artas device is a dramatic leap forward in FUE and further studies are needed to determine the limitations of the device.

The author has no financial conflict of interests with the device or its parent company.

References 1. Harris JA. New methodology and instrumentation for follicular unit extraction: lower follicle transection rates and expanded

patient candidacy. Dermatol Surg. 2006 Jan;32(1):56-61; discussion 61-2. [PMID: 16393599] 2. Stroud CM, Rashid RM. Analysis of patient awareness and demographic studies in follicular unit extraction. Skinmed. 2012

Sep-Oct;10(5):324-5. [PMID: 23163080] 3. Rashid RM, Morgan Bicknell LT. Follicular unit extraction hair transplant automation: options in overcoming challenges of

the latest technology in hair restoration with the goal of avoiding the line scar. Dermatol Online J. 2012 Sep 15;18(9):12. [PMID: 23031379]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16393599








































































































Medical Insight, Inc.® • 130 Vantis #240, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 • (949) 830-5409 • Facsimile: (949) 830-8944 • www.miinews.com

In recent years, surgical hair transplantation has been going through a significant, but quiet revolution. Follicular Unit Hair Transplantation, the standard strip excision method that is still widely used, and the more minimally invasive Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) approaches are being challenged by a new technology that automates the harvesting process with more preci-sion. This innovative robotic approach is accelerating expansion of the hair restoration market, indicating a paradigm shift in this industry.

New Robotic Hair Transplantation Technology Provides Path to the Future

March/April 2014

2 THE Aesthetic Guide March/April 2014 www.miinews.com

ARTAS Robotic System

” There is no doubt that the ARTAS System is causing a paradigm shift. For physicians, and in particular hair transplant surgeons who are only doing the strip based procedure and not really doing FUE, from the start they will be much more efficient at using a robot.”

Herbert S. Feinberg, M.D.DermatologistEnglewood, NJ

Gregory A. Turowski, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.Plastic SurgeonSkokie, IL

Mark A. Bishara, M.D.Cosmetic SurgeonMansfield, TX

ARTAS Hair Studio and ARTAS RoboticSystem Signal a Paradigm Shift in Hair Restoration

The ARTAS® Robotic System from Restoration Robotics, Inc. (San Jose, Calif.), harvests hair for transplant using a minimally invasive dissection pro-cess mounted on an image-guided robotic arm. Harvesting individual follicu-lar units from the back of the head, this system provides an unparalleled level of precision, control, reproducibility and efficiency. Since only the most robust and viable hairs are selected to harvest, the system consistently and repeat-edly provides very high quality grafts for transplant.

This minimally invasive procedure is proving to be the new standard for hair transplant patients. Unlike the traditional strip procedure, ARTAS does not require a large incision on the back of the head, sutures or staples to close the wound, so there is no risk of a linear scar. In addition, patients recover quickly, report minimal discomfort post-procedure and are able to return to daily exercise and other physical activities without limitations. Physicians are finding that these benefits bring new patients into their practices, asking for the ARTAS Robotic Procedure by name.

“There is no doubt that the ARTAS System is causing a paradigm shift,” ex-pressed Mark A. Bishara, M.D., a cosmetic surgeon in Mansfield, Texas. “For physicians, and in particular hair transplant surgeons who are only doing the strip-based procedure and not really doing FUE, from the start they will be much more efficient at using a robot than if they try to develop the hand-eye coordination necessary for manual procedures. The ARTAS Robotic System is definitely going to fill different voids in various practices.”

“Increasingly, plastic surgeons and dermatologists are investigating the ARTAS Robotic System,” noted Jim McCollum, CEO of Restoration Robotics. “They see the technology not only from the aspect of how patients will benefit, but also how this is a unique opportunity to substantially grow their practice revenues.”

As with the introduction of any transformative technology, the physician community needs time to assess its value and potential for bringing in new patients. In the case of the ARTAS Robotic System, that time has come, according to Dr. Bishara. “I had a mixed practice of both cosmetic sur-gery and reconstructive surgery, along with hair restoration where we did around 50% strip procedures and 50% FUE,” he said. “There is no doubt that the results we are achieving now from robotic transplantation – with the density and overall hair maps – are certainly acceptable to forego having a strip taken out of the back of your head. That is coming from somebody who performed the manual transplantation procedure for sev-eral years before purchasing the robotic system.”

By Jeffrey Frentzen, Executive Editor

3THE Aesthetic Guide March/April 2014 www.miinews.com

According to Gregory A. Turowski, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S., a plastic sur-geon in Skokie, Ill., the ARTAS Robotic System eases the tediousness of manual approaches and also dramatically speeds up the overall proce-dure. “I had used some FUE systems before, but they were manual systems that require a lot of experience and concentration for long periods of time, and they were relatively slow,” he reported. “The main advantage of using the ARTAS Robotic System is that it is faster than transplanting manually, even for an experienced person, and it does not require a steep learning curve. One can become quite proficient compared with other approaches to FUE. More than that, I think it improves the quality of the grafts. They are more consistently not denuded and not stripped from the surrounding tissue. This combination of features has us using the robotic system more than the manual technologies.”

Herbert S. Feinberg, M.D., a dermatologist in Englewood, N.J., imple-mented the ARTAS Robotic System in his practice to speed up the FUE process. “I found manual FUE too tedious,” he said. “The ARTAS Robotic System allowed me to perform FUE with more competence that I could ever achieve manually. Certainly, it is also less physically demanding. I have now treated a number of patients who had traditional FUE or strip proce-dures in the past. All of them said they preferred the robotic transplant and they would never go back to a strip procedure if they needed more work in the future.”

Driving Patient Acquisition

In a 2013 Practice Census by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS), hair transplantation is reported to be a $1.9 billion busi-ness worldwide, having grown 48% since 2008. In order to leverage this significant growth, Restoration Robotics has invested in a robust search engine marketing strategy, a social media campaign and patient outreach programs to drive market expansion and patient acquisition. “We are committed to growing the hair transplantation market,” said Mr. McCollum.

When people start noticing their hair loss, they typically go online to search for information, Mr. McCollum continued. “In 2013, we generated over 27 million print and online ad impressions. We will accelerate this momentum by continuing to build upon our extensive search and print advertising cam-paigns. Anyone searching online in this category will find our information at the top of the search results page, driving them to visit our site and find a local ARTAS physician.”

A recent poll by Restoration Robotics found that 9 out of 10 physicians using the ARTAS Robotic System report an increase in patient interest, Mr. McCollum shared. “Due to the dramatic increase in interest surrounding the

Before Tx

After ARTAS Robotic hair transplantationPhotos courtesy of Restoration Robotics, Inc.


ARTAS Robotic Procedure, our website traffic has increased exponentially to 5,000 visits per week.”

According to Dr. Bishara, “Since my adoption of the ARTAS Robotic System, my practice has grown from performing three to four hair trans-plantation cases per month to between 12 and 15 cases per month. To keep up with the patient demand, I decided to purchase my second ARTAS System a year later.”

“In our experience, we have seen that ARTAS customers who perform as few as four procedures per month can pay off the robot in a year or less,” Mr. McCollum advised. “Our case volume from 2012 to 2013 has quadrupled and we are seeing fantastic results so far in 2014.”

For Dr. Turowski, Restoration Robotic’s public relations efforts have im-pacted his practice. “They have always wanted to help us out in these ways, and I am happy to see they are now promoting the ARTAS Robotic System more thoroughly to the public and among physicians, too. The time seems right to do more to get the word out. At the outset, the company’s marketing was geared around promoting physicians that use the robotic system, but now the outreach revolves around educating patients about the robotic technology itself.”

Any time a company introduces a technology that is relatively new to the consumer the manufacturer bares a large majority of the burden to educate via public awareness and other campaigns. “Restoration Robotics has done exactly that,” noted Dr. Bishara. “They have used cooperative advertisement agreements for more of the grassroots efforts, and have also taken on a large scale Google AdWords campaign for advertising the system and the procedure. Too many times, industry will focus just on the providers and leave it up to them to educate patients and the public on new techniques and technologies. However, Restoration Robotics is tak-ing the lead in this case, and their efforts have led to a significant rise in patients asking for the robotic procedure.”

The company’s patient marketing program is a vital component for prac-tice success, noted Dr. Feinberg. “The materials provided by Restoration Robotics are well thought out and professionally presented. Most important to me was the company’s focus on Internet presence. While most of my pa-tients were referred from traditional sources, such as other patients, physi-cians and barbers, the Internet has been the go-to medium for most people seeking information about robotic transplants. For example, a majority of my consults have come to me via the Internet.”

“You will need all the help you can get when you’re starting up something that is so new, unique and somewhat mysterious to most people,” Dr. Feinberg

Before Tx


5 THE Aesthetic Guide March/April 2014 www.miinews.com

indicated. “Today, to make yourself visible in what has become a quite com-petitive environment you need professional assistance.”

One goal of the company’s outreach is to reel in physician skeptics, as more consumers learn about the ARTAS Robotic System and approach physicians with questions about it. “These physicians will be compelled to start buying into the concept of non-manual grafting,” Dr. Bishara noted. “When you look at the skeptics you can scratch the surface and find out that there is usually some other type of fear motivating their behavior. This new technology needs to be truly embraced. Whenever you see such drastic game changing taking place in medicine and other fields as well, it induces a lot of fear. For instance, surgeons that are in different parts of their career and are not willing to convert, may feel that their craft is being lost or that all of their life’s efforts have gone by the wayside. They feel like they are being replaced by something newer and better. But history has taught us that those courageous enough to be early adopters and embrace new things and new technology, are those that usually end up being laureates in the field.”

Dr. Turowski agreed that the ARTAS Robotic System confronts the hair restoration surgeon with a radically new procedure and technology. “It makes sense that at first people would be somewhat skeptical. Though pub-lic awareness is a key to the success of this system, public perception and physician acceptance has also changed during the past several months for one other important reason,” he said. “After two-and-a-half years of doing the procedure, I have demonstrated excellent results. We have the data and the before-and-after photographs to showcase to prospective patients that the procedure not only works, but works well.”

ARTAS Hair Studio — New Product Launch

In addition to extensive global marketing support for practices, Restoration Robotics will also launch the ARTAS Hair Studio, which transforms the patient consultation experience and allows the physician to develop an individualized, personalized simulated aesthetic hair transplant design for their patient.

ARTAS Hair Studio enables physicians to create an onscreen photo- realistic three-dimensional (3D) model of the patient’s head, Mr. McCollum explained. “You can turn the head around in any direction and see it from any angle. ARTAS Hair Studio also allows the physician to design the trans-plant, create a natural-looking hairline and demonstrate different levels of hair density,” he stated. “It is an interactive tool that allows the physician to sit down with a patient and try out different simulations of what the patient’s hair transplant could look like with varying numbers of grafts.

Before Tx

After ARTAS Robotic hair transplantationPhotos courtesy of Gregory A. Turowski, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.

ARTAS Hair Studio


Setting appropriate patient expectations during the consultation will yield greater patient satisfaction.”

This new product will provide the patient with insight into what a hair res-toration procedure can offer, Dr. Bishara advised. “In addition, the ARTAS Hair Studio turns out to be a great pre-operative planning device. Physicians will be able to easily predict the amount of grafts needed for a certain procedure. It is a superior integrated approach as well as an effective sales tool during the patient consultation. It should not extend the time of the con-sultation, rather it improves the quality of the consult, as well as the patient experience during the interaction with the physician.”

For Dr. Feinberg, the new ARTAS Hair Studio impressed him enough to put in his order. Anything that can enhance a procedure that is already working so well, can only have a positive effect,” he expressed. “The robotic system is very high-tech and that has been a strong selling point for many of my patients. Any improvement will create more interest from patients and acceptance as well. Also, for the ‘techie’ practitioner — and I speak as one of that species — these enhancements can be very stimulat-ing and certainly a lot of fun.”

The result of the company’s effort, in part, will be that the public’s percep-tion of hair transplantation will move from older approaches to the ARTAS Robotic procedure. “There are some patients that definitely benefit from the strip procedure,” noted Dr. Turowski, “but in my opinion if you have a choice of leaving a large scar on a patient’s scalp versus no scar — or nearly invis-ible little scars — it is a pretty simple choice.”

“Every surgeon who has one will tell you why they have it, and those that do not have one are going to tell you why they don’t,” said Dr. Bishara. “They will give you an excuse on why they have not purchased one. The fact remains is that it is worth making the switch to the next-generation. I think technology that a few years ago may have sounded very futuristic and unreal will become the new standard. Then, we will wonder how we lived without it.”

Nevertheless, the thought process of arriving at that point varies de-pending upon the physician’s orientation, Dr. Bishara added. “For surgeons that have been only doing hair, increasing productivity and clinical outcomes using this system can be beneficial and even allow them to expand their aesthetic offerings. As well, those who embrace the new and explore the ARTAS Robotic System, may ultimately be free to offer a wider scope of cosmetic surgery and other procedures, which can expand their business.”

Before Tx


Before Tx

After ARTAS Robotic hair transplantationPhotos courtesy of Gregory A. Turowski, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.

Mark Bishara, MDSpecialty: PlasticsLocation: TexasCustomer Since: 2012

Dr. Mark Bishara is a member of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), the Dallas County Medical Society, and the Texas Medical Association. He currently holds licenses to practice surgery in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas and Florida.

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dedicated point person handles all incoming ARTAS Robotic System phone calls. Dr. Bishara also conducts extensive field marketing reports and utilizes social media marketing reports to insure that information about the ARTAS Robotic System is communicated accurately and reaches the appropriate target audience to produce tangible, measurable results.

ConclusionAs evidenced by his practice growth and hair transplant surgery success, Dr. Bishara is confident in his investment in the ARTAS Robotic System. With a well-coordinated marketing plan supporting his ARTAS Robotic System hair transplantation procedural focus, Dr. Bishara has expanded his practice at a much quicker rate than is normally achievable in this segment of medicine. Dr. Bishara intends to perform at least 30 procedures per month in the short term and plans to leverage the scalability and that the ARTAS Robotic System provides to increase his hair transplant procedures in the near future.

Experienced in keeping detailed performance metrics in his practice, Dr. Bishara keeps a close eye on practice economics, procedural growth and their drivers. The ARTAS Robotic System has “totally changed the dynamic” according to Dr. Bishara and has been the cornerstone of his practice’s growth in term of revenue volume, market and geographic expansion. His practice grew from performing three to four hair transplantation cases per month prior to adding the ARTAS Robotic System to performing typically between twelve to fifteen cases per month post-adoption. He reports that 100% of hair transplant inquiries are in direct reference to the ARTAS procedure. This growth in procedure volume has further enhanced his confidence in the technology’s appeal and his investment decision. He expects the monthly volume to increase to about thirty ARTAS procedures by the end of 2013.

Due to the high patient demand for the ARTAS procedure in Dr. Bishara’s practice, he is opening a third and fourth location in the Dallas Fort Worth area as soon as possible. All of his offices are in a single metropolitan area, providing strong evidence of his need to plan for future growth as soon as possible. The rate of this growth is significantly more rapid relative to industry standards for plastic surgeons in the early stages of their private practice careers. Dr. Bishara calculates that with the adoption of the ARTAS procedure his practice growth has accelerated in about one-third of that time.

Differential Demographics: Attracting Affluent Clients Dr. Bishara’s shift from more commodity-oriented, strip-based surgeries to value-added robotic procedures has caused a demographic shift to a more affluent client base which values the specialized procedure with its range of exceptional features and benefits. The impact of this shift includes a decrease in price sensitivity, the kind of powerful word-of-mouth that having an affluent patient base brings, and breaking out from geographic constraints. A considerable number of patients travel to Dr. Bishara from other cities in Texas and from out-of-state. This is proof that discerning, educated patients will go to significant lengths to seek out a more advanced hair transplant procedure from a trusted, experienced, reputable surgeon.

Education and Patient OutreachEducating the consumer is a crucial piece of any technological innovation. Dr. Bishara has built a multi-faceted marketing campaign to build his practice. With the ARTAS Robotic System, Dr. Bishara appeals to a more sophisticated consumer, one who is interested in state-of-the-art results with fewer risks. These patients are willing to invest in a higher priced procedure which offers superior patient outcomes. Nearly 40% of his patients fly to Texas solely to have the procedure. He reaches these patients through a variety of strategic marketing approaches (see sidebar).

To attract local patients, he informs and educates existing patients about the procedure via extensive patient database mining, offers complimentary consultations, and relies on patient referrals and word of mouth.

In order to track and measure his marketing success and productivity, Dr. Bishara appointed a dedicated point person to handle all of his ARTAS procedure patients. This staff member is an ARTAS Robotic System expert and records the referral source to the practice. Dr. Bishara personally conducts all the ARTAS procedure consultations, but his

arm, the system locates and harvests the most viable and robust intact follicular units. Precision, consistency, reproducibility and harvest efficiency are all optimized, while operator fatigue and human error are virtually eliminated.

In comparison to the time and training required for manual hair restoration methods, the ARTAS Robotic System shortens the traditional learning curve. Additionally, in contrast to manual harvesting procedures, the ARTAS Robotic System can cut the duration of harvesting time in half. With the robotic precision offered by the ARTAS System, physicians are able to deliver consistent, reproducible patient outcomes.

The ARTAS Robotic System in PracticeThe experience of Mark Bishara, M.D., owner of Bishara Cosmetic Surgery & Hair Restoration (Southlake, Texas and Mansfield, Texas), makes the economic case for robotic technology in hair transplantation. Dr. Bishara trained at New York Medical College and Morristown Memorial Hospital, and completed a fellowship appointment in Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He also founded the American Plastic and Reconstructive Research Association, a think tank for novel concepts and clinical applications in plastic surgery. Dr. Bishara completed a hair transplantation fellowship with Dr. Mark DiStefano in Worcester, Massachusetts and continued his education with Dr. James Harris, Medical Director of Hair Sciences of Colorado and a pioneer of the FUE technique. Dr. Bishara no longer uses strip harvesting as his first choice for hair transplant surgery; instead he has shifted his practice to focus on ARTAS procedures exclusively. He purchased an ARTAS Robotic System for his Mansfield, Texas office in January 2012; in February 2013, he was the first surgeon to install a second system, this time in his Southlake, Texas location.

Results: Topline Growth, Practice Expansion, Return on Investment (ROI)Dr. Bishara’s solo practice employs eight staff members and a provider in a similar situation as Dr. Bishara likely generates between $2.5 to $3 million. Global demand for hair transplantation has been on the rise, according to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery’s most recent census (2013), “The total market size for hair restoration surgery [worldwide] has increased 47.9% since 2008 or from $1.3 billion USD in 2008 to $1.9 billion USD in 2012.”1 As this overall demand increases, consumers will continue to seek out less painful, less invasive, and more personal-ized alternatives to hair transplantation (as they have done with surgeries such as all-custom laser eye correction). The impact for Dr. Bishara’s practice is already clear: In his plastic surgery practice which offers a full range of plastic surgical options, ARTAS proce-dures now account for 70% of his overall business.

The ARTAS® Robotic System Is Transforming the Hair Restoration Industry – Physicians Are Leading the Way

BackgroundFor decades, the primary form of hair transplantation surgery in the United States was strip surgery, also referred to as strip harvesting. This is an invasive surgery that requires excising a band of tissue from the back and/or sides of the scalp (the “strip”) followed by manually hand cutting the strip of tissue into individual follicular units under a microscope. An intact follicular unit consists of one to four hairs surrounded by a small amount of fatty tissue and epidermal tissue. These follicular units are then transplanted into the thinning or balding areas of the scalp. One of the biggest drawbacks of strip surgery is the linear scar it leaves.

Recently, a newer modality called Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) has become an increasingly attractive alternative to strip surgery. Because surgically removing a strip of tissue from the back and/or sides of the scalp is not necessary for the FUE procedure, it promises patients less, if any, scarring, no need for sutures, less post-procedural pain and numbness and a shorter recovery time with fewer long-term side effects. The advantages of the FUE procedure are attractive to patients, but there are two distinct challenges facing the surgeons performing the procedure: 1) Since FUE extracts each follicular unit individually and manually, it takes longer than strip surgery and 2) Manual FUE requires a proficiency where physicians need months of training and frequent practice to develop the skills and precision for competency. The repetitive nature of extracting the follicular units, associated tedium, fatigue and time required to complete a procedure is a barrier for surgeons performing these cases. New advances in robotic-assisted hair transplantation help physicians overcome these constraints, yielding better clinical results for patients with no linear scar, virtually no downtime, a nearly undetectable donor area and fast recovery. Physician benefits include control, consistency, increased procedure volume capability and greater patient throughput.

The ARTAS® Robotic SystemThe ARTAS Robotic System (Restoration Robotics, Inc., San Jose, California) is the only FDA-cleared, physician-controlled, computer-assisted robotic technology for minimally invasive hair transplantation. The ARTAS Robotic System represents a major improvement in the field of hair restoration. Utilizing high-resolution digital mapping and tracking technology and a minimally invasive dissection system combined with an image-guided robotic

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The total market size for hair restoration surgery (worldwide) has increased 47.9% since 2008 or from $1.3 billion USD in 2008 to $1.9 billion USD in 2012.

1 2013 Practice Census Results. International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, prepared by Relevant Research, Inc., Chicago, IL (July 2013)

2013 ISHRS Census

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Nearly 40% of his patients �y to Texas solely to have the procedure. He reaches these patients through a variety of strategic marketing approaches:

n Google Adwordsn High quality print publicationsn VIP treatment packages tailored to

out of town patientsn Bloggingn Patient Education Seminars/Open

Houses

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Restoration Robotics, Inc. 128 Baytech Drive n San Jose, CA 95134 n U.S.A. n [email protected] n www.restorationrobotics.com© 2013 Restoration Robotics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. LB-46346 Rev. A

RESTORATION ROBOTICS, ARTAS, the stylized logos, ARTAS KEY, ARTAS VISION, ARTAS GENERATION, ARTAS FX, ROBOTIC REVOLUTION, ESSENTIAL TECHNOLOGY FOR HAIR, HAIR RESTORATION REDEFINED and VISUALIZE THE POSSIBILITIES are among the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Restoration Robotics, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Transforming Hair Restoration through Precision Robotics and Advanced Imaging Technology

Young. Hong, MDVisual Plastic Surgery - Los Angeles, California

By Carolyn Pexton

For both men and women, noticeable hair loss by the age of 60 is a distressingly common experience. Millions of

people seek treatment for this condition each year. According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery

(ISHRS) 1, in 2010, global revenue for hair restoration procedures exceeded $2 billion, and patient demand growth

in some markets is estimated at more than 300%. Demand for advanced methods for coping with hair loss has also

sharply increased, as patients seek a less invasive approach, shorter recovery time and better results.

The introduction of the ARTAS® Robotic System provides a compelling response to this rising demand. Through

advanced imaging technology and robotics, the ARTAS system delivers accurate, consistent results, dissecting indi-

vidual follicles hundreds to thousands of times within a single session. Precision with the robotic procedure has been

recognized as a major improvement in hair restoration.

Decision Points and Doubling Volume

At Visual Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles, Surgical Director

Young Hong, MD became interested in the efficiency and precision

of this approach, and the significant advantages it seemed to offer

his patients. “ARTAS takes the art and science of hair restoration to

an entirely new level,” says Dr. Hong. “With the robotic approach, I’m

able to obtain better quality in the hair samples that are extracted”

says Dr. Hong,” and this lead to excellent results in terms of hair

growth.”

The ARTAS Robotic System represents a partnership between the

robot and the doctor, rather than a replacement. The robot har-

vests each follicular unit precisely, while the doctor applies exper-

tise in the transplantation process.

According to Dr. Hong, it requires roughly five hours to complete

the entire procedure. “On average, it takes a little less than two

hours to harvest, and then with the implant, maybe another two

hours.”

“For me, the decision to move to the ARTAS system was driven by a

few key factors,” says Dr. Hong. “I really like the high tech approach

to hair restoration, with low transection rates and minimal

discomfort for patients.”

Growth in business and revenue has followed the introduction of

the ARTAS Robotic System. Since he added the ARTAS System to

his practice, Hong said he’s seen a dramatic increase in the volume

of hair restoration clients.

“After introducing the ARTAS procedure, my practice nearly dou-

bled over a period of just six months,” says Dr. Hong. “Patients have

responded very well because they know they’re getting the best

possible procedure. And pricing doesn’t seem to be a barrier. At

the moment, I am providing both the robotic and strip procedure.

As it turns out, 9 out of 10 patients prefer the ARTAS robotic

procedure, even though the price is a little higher.”

As in many other areas of medicine, the use of robotic technology

is helping to improve outcomes for patients who may have been

disappointed with previous hair restoration procedures. Whereas

the strip method requires removal of a thin piece of tissue from the

back of the scalp, FUE (follicular unit extraction) harvests individual

hair samples for transplantation to other areas.

Higher Patient and Physician Satisfaction

“I’ve seen a number of patients who had previously gone through

a strip procedure for hair restoration, and without exception, they

all preferred the robotic procedure and felt it was a much better

approach,” says Dr. Hong. “In fact, I’ve heard patients say they

would never do a strip procedure again. Many patients mentioned

they would refer their friends.”

“My staff has responded very well to the ARTAS system, and they

are quite comfortable working with the robot,” Dr. Hong noted.

“I was actually pleasantly surprised that the adjustment was so

smooth, and the learning curve was much better than I had

anticipated.”

• High-resolution digital imaging for rapid, micron-level targeting accu-racy

• Image-guided robotic alignment for speed and precision beyond manual techniques

• Minimally invasive dissection delivers healthy, intact grafts with nearly undetectable harvest sites

• Intuitive operation that shortens the learning curve and makes the procedure easier to perform

Key features of the ARTAS Robotic System include:

Transforming Hair Restoration | Page 2

Young Hong, MD

has been performing hair restoration for more than 30 years. He is a licensed plastic surgeon. Dr. Hong is the medical director of Visual Plastic Surgery in Los Angeles.

Among potential clients, there is a growing awareness about this

high tech process and the benefits for anyone seeking a safe,

permanent solution to hair loss. Recovery time is much shorter

with ARTAS than with traditional strip surgery, which means

patients can return to their normal lives and activities with minimal

disruption.

“There are so many benefits for patients with the ARTAS system,”

says Dr. Hong. “It is minimally invasive, involves far less pain and

discomfort, requires very little down time, and does not leave

the patient with detectable scarring. Overall, we’re seeing better

results and higher patient satisfaction.”

In terms of marketing this new system, Dr. Hong is currently

targeting primarily Asian populations through local newspapers.

The patients themselves play a key role in marketing this system,

as they are more likely to recommend it to friends when they are

happy with the results.

For any medical practice, time is an important factor when

weighing various solutions. As Dr. Hong observed, “The ARTAS

system is efficient and timesaving. Another important consider-

ation is that it comes with great support. Everyone on the team has

been very helpful and professional. Adding the ARTAS System is

one of the best decisions I’ve made in the last ten years.”


1. ISHRS 2011 Practice Census Results. http://www.ishrs.org/PDF/FinalPracticeCensusReport7_11_11.pdf.

LB46348


Restoration Robotics, Inc.128 Baytech Drive San Jose, CA 95134Email: [email protected]: (408) 883-6888Copyright © 2013 Restoration Robotics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


MARCH/APRIL 2013

ARTAS Robotic System Transforms Hair Restoration for Physicians and Patients

As an FDA cleared, physician-con-trolled, computer-assisted technology for minimally invasive hair transplanta-tion, the ARTAS Robotic System from Restoration Robotics (San Jose, Calif.) is a significant advancement in its field. Utilizing proprietary digital mapping and tracking technology, a minimally in-vasive dissection punch and an image-guided robotic arm, this system harvests follicular units from the patient’s donor area, surpassing manual follicular unit extraction (FUE) in four crucial areas: precision, control, reproducibility and efficiency. In addition, it eliminates a major drawback associated with hand-held tools and automated hair restora-tion systems – physician fatigue.

The ARTAS Robotic System opens the field of surgical hair restoration to physi-cians willing to commit to mastering the art and science behind this in-demand service. By identifying and mapping the location of thousands of follicular units to be harvested in one session, and tar-geting them for dissection at the appro-priate angle of approach, this system maximizes the likelihood of high-qual-ity, transplantation-ready grafts and minimizes the transection rate. With the ARTAS System, the surgeon can adjust dissection settings, including puncture and coring depth, angle and speed, all without interrupting the procedure.

Providing a permanent, natural look-ing solution for hair loss that is safe and efficient, the ARTAS Robotic System trans-forms both the surgeon’s and patient’s experience. Unlike the strip harvesting approach to hair transplantation, the ARTAS procedure involves little or no dis-comfort. Patients can return to all of their normal activities in one to two days. Also, since there is no linear incision and result-ing scar, they can continue to wear their

hair in any length or style. Intelligent algo-rithms ensure the donor area maintains a natural appearance.

Mark Bishara, M.D., of Bishara Cosmetic Surgery & Hair Restoration in Mansfield, Texas, has used the ARTAS Robotic System for nearly 100 patients in a little over a year. In his experience it alleviates the repeated stress and strain on the surgeon’s eyes and lumbar spine that are typically associated with manual FUE. “By eliminating operator fatigue, the potential for human error is reduced,” he pointed out. “The robot simply does not tire.”

Samuel Lam, M.D., of Lam Facial Plastic Surgery Center in Plano, Texas, agreed, noting that avoiding transec-tion of the hair follicles is key to success-ful hair transplant. “Fatigue and error are major contributors to transection, but the precision and accuracy of the ARTAS are unrivaled in terms of the hu-man hand,” he said.

According to Gregory A. Turowski, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S., medical director of New Horizons Center for Cosmetic Surgery and Medical Spa in Chicago, Ill., the ARTAS Robotic System is much more efficient than even an experi-enced surgeon using automated FUE. Experienced in using both automated and robotic FUE, he and his team pre-fer the robotic ARTAS System, which al-lows them to perform on average over 500 FUEs in an hour.

In Dr. Bishara’s opinion, “Comparing automated FUE to ARTAS is like compar-ing apples and oranges. The automat-ed FUE device is a hand tool guided by the physician who must rely only on his or her eyes to determine the appropri-ate angles of the individual hairs to be harvested. Conversely, ARTAS gives us

By Desiree Ifft, Contributing Editor

“ Fatigue and error are major contributors to transection, but the precision and accuracy of the ARTAS are unrivaled in terms of the human hand.”

Samuel Lam, M.D.Lam Facial Plastic Surgery CenterPlano, TX

Gregory A. Turowski, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.S.Medical DirectorNew Horizons Center for Cosmetic Surgery and Medical SpaChicago, IL

Mark Bishara, M.D.Bishara Cosmetic Surgery & Hair RestorationMansfield, TX

ARTAS Robotic System

real-time digital targeting down to the micron level and consistently harvests the hairs with its robotic arm to deliver healthy grafts every time.”

Between 2008 and 2010 the world-wide market for hair restoration in-creased by 47.9%.* With this rapid growth, the ARTAS System is well-po-sitioned to further expand the market. “Even patients who are not only thin shafted, but sparse in the universal donor area are now candidates for ARTAS Robotic Hair Transplantation,” Dr. Bishara said. “In addition, now that a robot is used in the provision of this service, appropriately selected patients will enjoy a more widespread availabil-ity of hair restoration procedures that will not commit them to a linear scar, which for many of today’s patients is considered aesthetically unacceptable.”

Dr. Lam believes the introduction of the ARTAS System is helping to raise aware-ness of the latest solutions for hair loss that are available to patients. “The com-pany is running direct-to-consumer ads, and a buzz has been created in the me-dia,” he said.

While purchasing the ARTAS System is a substantial investment for a prac-tice, and the procedure cost for patients is considered relatively high, the market seems accepting. Today’s patients are savvy, Dr. Turowski said. “They tend to research their options thoroughly and are willing to pay for solutions that pro-vide true benefits and value.”

Dr. Bishara agreed and compared it to other luxury items; “people are will-ing to purchase high-priced televisions if they want a high-definition experience, and televisions are far less permanent than a hair restoration procedure.”

In Dr. Lam’s practice, being able to of-fer the ARTAS procedure has expanded

the hair restoration demographic to pa-tients who would not have considered transplantation surgery otherwise. “Our business has tripled because of this,” he said. “You have to be sure you will have a certain number of cases to justify bringing in the system, but the oppor-tunity is there for someone who either doesn’t perform hair transplantation at this time or wants to upgrade to a more sophisticated way of doing it.”

For Dr. Turowski, his practice has achieved a favorable return on its ARTAS investment. “It helps to have a thriving practice to support it initially, including the necessary systems, such as market-ing, personnel, etc., already in place,” he stated. He views the ARTAS System as a technology that is moving both his practice and the field of hair restoration forward. “Poll results presented at a re-cent meeting of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery showed that a minority of transplantation procedures are currently FUE, but that is changing rapidly. I believe we are currently in a transitional period, where minimally in-vasive hair restoration procedures such as the ARTAS Robotic Transplant will ex-plode,” he shared. “This will be much like when there was resistance to new ways of performing liposuction, but eventually the older methods disappeared.”

References: 2011 Practice Census Results. International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. Available from: www.ishrs.org/sites/default/files/users/user3/FinalPracticeCensusReport7_11_11.pdf. Accessed March 5, 2013.

Donor area before Tx

Donor area after ARTAS Robotic TxPhotos courtesy of Restoration Robotics

Before Tx

After 900 grafts with ARTAS Robotic TxPhotos courtesy of Restoration Robotics


Prof. Chang Hun HUH Dermatologist Seoul, South Korea

Associate Professor of Department of Dermatology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital in Korea. Treasurer of the Korean Dermatologic Laser Association (2006 – present) Treasurer of the Korean Society of Cosmetic Dermatology (2012 – present) Scientific Director of the Korean Society for Dermatologic Surgery (2012 - present) Public Relation Director of Korean Hair Research Society (2012 – present) Ceremony & Social Director, OC of World Congress of Hair Research 2014. Secretary General Deputy, OC of International Society for Dermatologic Surgery 2015.

Installed October 2012

PRESS RELEASE

Released April 14, 2011

ARTAS System Receives FDA Clearance for Ground-Breaking Technology Treating Hair Loss

Restoration Robotics, Inc., a medical device company that pioneered the first robotic follicular unit harvesting system, today announced that it has received FDA 510K clearance for its revolutionary

ARTAS System

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Restoration Robotics, Inc. a privately-held medical device company, today announced that its revolutionary technology, the ARTAS™ System, has received 510K clearance from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for harvesting hair follicles from the scalp in men diagnosed with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) with black or brown straight hair. The ARTAS™ System was developed in close collaboration with several leading hair restoration physicians to enhance the quality of follicular unit harvesting for the benefit of physicians and their patients.

“There is growing interest in FUE because of its many patient benefits, such as less discomfort and a quicker return to normal activities. The ARTAS™ System solves many of the technical challenges experienced by physicians currently attempting the FUE procedure which gives physicians and patients an exciting new choice.”

“We are thrilled to receive FDA clearance, and look forward to rolling out the ARTAS™ System to leading hair restoration physicians,” said Jim McCollum, Chief Executive Officer, Restoration Robotics. “Hair loss is a very real issue for millions of men in the United States. We’re pleased to offer a powerful new technology for patients who are interested in a safe new way to enhance their quality of life.”

ARTAS™ is a physician-controlled, state-of-the-art, interactive, computer-assisted system that enables harvesting of hair follicles during hair restoration procedures. It combines several features including an image-guided robotic arm, special imaging technologies, small dermal punches, and a computer interface. The ARTAS™ System is capable of identifying and harvesting individual follicular units to implement the follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique.

The Benefits

“Many patients are seeking less invasive alternatives to the current hair restoration techniques,” said Miguel Canales, MD, Medical Director, Restoration Robotics. “There is growing interest in FUE because of its many patient benefits, such as less discomfort and a quicker return to normal activities. The ARTAS™ System solves many of the technical challenges experienced by physicians currently attempting the FUE procedure which gives physicians and patients an exciting new choice.”

Hair restoration is performed as an office-based procedure. Implanted hairs develop their own blood supply, begin to grow and new hairs are seen a few months after the procedure. New hair continues to grow over the course of a full year, making the change in the patient’s appearance gradually noticeable to others.

http://www.businesswire.com/

Released April 14, 2011

“I believe the ARTAS™ system will make hair restoration more attractive to a broader group of patients,” said James Harris, MD, of the Hair Sciences Center in Denver, CO. “In my practice, I have seen a significant increase in patients asking for FUE because of its minimally invasive approach. They really liked the rapid healing and lack of a linear scar, which makes this procedure different from the strip method.”

Hair Loss By The Numbers

According to the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS)1, at least 35 million men in the United States are affected by male pattern baldness or androgenetic alopecia. By age 50, approximately 50% of men will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss. Approximately one in four men suffer from male pattern baldness (MPB), which has psychological, professional and social consequences for these patients, such as:

• 68% of men feel helpless about their hair loss

• 73% of balding men feel they are less attractive than they were when they had hair2

• 77% of balding men would feel very or somewhat concerned if they were in their 20s, just starting their career and experiencing hair loss3

While prescription remedies, such as Propecia® and Rogaine®, offer some benefits to existing hair, hair restoration moves healthy, functioning follicles to the areas of the patient’s scalp most impacted by baldness for more dramatic results. Hair restoration is a popular cosmetic procedure, with an estimated number of procedures exceeding 100,000 in the U.S. in 2009. Hair restoration is the only permanent solution for hair loss and can result in a natural, undetectable outcome.

About Restoration Robotics

Restoration Robotics, Inc., a privately held medical device company, is dedicated to revolutionizing the field of hair transplantation by developing and commercializing its state-of-the-art image-guided ARTAS™ System. This interactive, computer assisted system uses image-guided robotics to enhance the quality of hair follicle harvesting for the benefit of physicians and their patients. To learn more about Restoration Robotics and its unique technology, visit www.restorationrobotics.com. To learn more about hair loss and restoration, please visit the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS) at www.ishrs.org.

1 International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS) website. http://www.ishrs.org/hair-loss/hair-loss-male.htm. Accessed April 11, 2011. 2 Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 3 ISHRS 2006 Consumer Hair Loss Survey

Contacts

Pascale Communications, LLC Rosemary Valenta, 917-701-3246 [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]

Released July 09, 2012

Restoration Robotics’ Revolutionary ARTAS System Receives CE Mark to Treat Hair Loss

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Restoration Robotics, Inc., a privately-held medical device company, today announced its revolutionary ARTAS® System received CE Mark Certificate (Conformité Européenne) to market in the European Union. The ARTAS System is the first physician controlled, computer assisted technology that allows harvesting individual follicular units directly from the scalp. This minimally invasive solution utilizes sophisticated digital mapping and precision robotics to deliver permanent and natural looking results.

“Receiving the CE Mark for Europe is a major milestone that indicates our FDA-cleared solution also meets the quality and safety standards required by the international healthcare marketplace”

“Receiving the CE Mark for Europe is a major milestone that indicates our FDA-cleared solution also meets the quality and safety standards required by the international healthcare marketplace,” said Jim McCollum, President and Chief Executive Officer, Restoration Robotics, Inc. “We have seen strong interest in bringing the ARTAS System to Europe, and we can now move forward with our expansion plans.”

Hair Loss By The Numbers

Hair loss affects approximately 50% of all men and over 25% of all women worldwide. Over 35 million men are affected by male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) in the United States alone.1 Approximately two-thirds of American men will experience appreciable hair loss by age 35; by age 50, 85% will see significant loss in hair thickness.2 Genetic hair loss, which typically begins between late adolescence and before or during middle age, is largely untreatable outside of surgery.

About Restoration Robotics

Restoration Robotics, Inc., a privately held medical device company, is dedicated to revolutionizing the field of hair transplantation by developing and commercializing its state-of-the-art image-guided ARTAS® System. This interactive, computer assisted system uses image guided technology to enhance the quality of hair follicle harvesting for the benefit of physicians and their patients. To learn more about the ARTAS System and its unique technology, visit www.artashair.com.

1 http://www.ishrs.org/hairloss-hair-loss-male.htm

2 http://www.americanhairloss.org/men_hair_loss/introduction.asp

Contacts

Pascale Communications, LLC Audra B. Friis, 917-519-9577 [email protected]

http://www.businesswire.com/

http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.artashair.com&esheet=50333156&lan=en-US&anchor=www.artashair.com&index=1&md5=67f97f240ef85976752e355cc1045bf3

http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ishrs.org%2Fhairloss-hair-loss-male.htm&esheet=50333156&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ishrs.org%2Fhairloss-hair-loss-male.htm&index=2&md5=9d24ff8fb0f27a35a1e5f7e28d781ae6

http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanhairloss.org%2Fmen_hair_loss%2Fintroduction.asp&esheet=50333156&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americanhairloss.org%2Fmen_hair_loss%2Fintroduction.asp&index=3&md5=4648bda439ae77400595d3d37978e56f

mailto:[email protected]

TEXAS SURGEON DOUBLES CAPABILITIES IN 2013 WITH INSTALLATION

OF SECOND ARTAS SYSTEM The ARTAS Robotic Procedure Redefines the Focus of Doctor’s Practice

Mansfield, Texas – 3.19.2013 – Restoration Robotics, Inc. announced today that Dr.Mark Bishara, with offices in both Mansfield and Southlake, Texas, has become the first surgeon in the United States to install a second ARTAS® System for his practice. The ARTAS System is the first and only FDA cleared, computer assisted technology that allows physicians to offer this minimally invasive robotic hair transplantation solution to their patients. The ARTAS System offers hair restoration physicians and patients unprecedented levels of safety, efficacy and patient comfort. Dr. Bishara became one of the earliest adopters of the state-of-the-art system with his Mansfield office installation in January 2012. Now, a second ARTAS System has been installed in Dr. Bishara’s Southlake office. Dr. Bishara has performed around 12-15 ARTAS procedures per month and within three months anticipates an increase to 32 cases per month – on average. Hair restoration now represents about 70% of his practice, which he attributes in great part to the ARTAS system completely redefining his focus and adding to his practice’s capabilities. “Bringing in a second ARTAS System was the centerpiece of my new location which just opened in Southlake. The demand for robotic hair transplantation has grown tremendously since we first started offering the procedure,” explains Dr. Bishara. “We want to give the consumers what they want, when they want it, and at an extremely high level of precision.” Hair Loss by the Numbers Over 35 million men are affected by male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia) in the United States alone.1 Approximately two-thirds of American men will experience appreciable hair loss by age 35; by age 50, 85% will see significant loss in hair thickness.2 Genetic hair loss, which typically begins between late adolescence and before or during middle age, is largely untreatable outside of surgery. About Dr. Mark Bishara Dr. Bishara is a member of the American College of Surgeon (ACS), the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), the Dallas County Medical Society and the Texas Medical Association. A native-born Texan, Dr. Bishara received his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science at Texas A&M University and worked in multi-specialty charity clinics in underserved areas of Latin America before returning to the United States for two years of clinical training at New York Medical College. After completing a five-year residency in general surgery at Morristown Memorial Hospital, which is affiliated with the prestigious Mount Sinai Medical School in New York, he founded the American Plastic and Reconstructive Research Association, a think tank for novel concepts and respective clinical applications in plastic surgery. He also completed a fellowship appointment in Aesthetic and Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. In addition to hair restoration surgery, Dr. Bishara’s specialties include cosmetic surgery of the breast, rhinoplasty, abdominoplasty (tummy-tuck), liposuction, cosmetic surgery of the face and body contouring after major weight loss. About Restoration Robotics Restoration Robotics, Inc., a privately held medical device company, is dedicated to revolutionizing the field of hair transplantation by developing and commercializing its state-of-the-art image-guided ARTAS® System. This interactive, computer assisted system uses image guided technology to enhance the quality of hair follicle harvesting for the benefit of physicians and their patients. To learn more about the ARTAS System and its unique technology, visit www.restorationrobotics.com or www.artashair.com. 1. http://www.ishrs.org/hairloss--‐hair--‐loss--‐male.htm 2. http://www.americanhairloss.org/men_hair_loss/introduction.asp Media Contact Pascale Communications LLC. Mona Finston 201-839-556 [email protected]

10ft / 3.0metre (Min) - Free of obstacles


1. 208 VAC +/- 10%, Single phase, 50/60 Hz, 10A.Required power outlet con�guration is, NEMA L6–20R twist lock.

2. Ethernet Port.

3. Cables from Customer Supplied Secondary Monitor (min, 10ft / 3.0m length from wall)

ARTAS System Cart

– Must be located within 8ft / 2.4m of power, receptable, ethernet port, and customer supplied video cables.

ARTAS Workstation

– Must be located within 6ft / 1.8m, from the back of the ARTAS System Cart.

Desk by Customer

ARTAS System Chair

Recommended locations for the customer supplied secondary monitor

Cart Dimensions Length: 48 inches / 1219mm when robot is in parked position Width: 27 inches / 686mm Height: 68 inches / 1727mm with robot in nominal position

Chair Dimensions Length: 53 inches / 1346mm Width: 29.5 inches / 749mm Height: 41 inches / 1042mm

Cart Weight 750 lbs. / 341 kg.

Chair Weight 180 lbs. / 82 kg.

Electrical 208VAC+/-10%, single phase, 50/60 Hz, 10A.

Required power outlet configuration is: USA: NEMA L6-20R twist lock International/EU: Standard country specific

plug/socket

Temperature Operating: 15-30 deg C and 20-80% humidity Requirements non-condensing; Storage: 0-50 deg C and

0-90% humidity non-condensing

Operating: 59-86 deg F and 20-80% humidity non-condensing; Storage: 32-122 deg F and 0-90% humidity non-condensing

ARTAS® System Technical Specifications

ARTAS® System Typical Room Layout - Site Making

Continuous Use Yes

Vacuum 29 in-Hg (generated internally)

Pressure 40 psi (generated internally)

FDA Classification Class II

Warranty 1 year manufacturer's warranty

Patents This product and/or its use is covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents: 6,585,746; 7,477,782; 7,627,157; RE 42,381; RE 42,437; 7,962,192; 8,048,090; 8,133,237; D641941; D641942; D644675; 8,199,983; 8,290,229; 8,361,085; and 8,454,627. Additional US and foreign patents pending.

Customer to supply the following:

Personal Computer Running Windows 7 or better; 64 bit version recommended; Intel Core Duo processor; 2 GB RAM or better

Secondary Monitor Recommended 40”+ TV/Monitor HD 1080p;Display Port Cable from monitor to ARTAS System (Exceptions may apply)

Connectivity Ethernet; Downstream speed up to 1.5 mbps; Upstream speed up to 384 kbps; Do not use WiFi

Desk (Workstation) At least 2’ x 3’ working surface

© 2014 Restoration Robotics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from Restoration Robotics, Inc.

RESTORATION ROBOTICS, ARTAS, and the stylized logos are among the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Restoration Robotics, Inc. in the United States and other countries. MK-46957 Rev B 4/2014

Restoration Robotics, Inc. 128 Baytech Drive San Jose, CA 95134 U.S.A. www.restorationrobotics.com



1. 208 VAC +/- 10%, Single phase, 50/60 Hz, 10A.Required power outlet con�guration is, NEMA L6–20R twist lock.

2. Ethernet Port.

3. Cables from Customer Supplied Secondary Monitor (min, 10ft / 3.0m length from wall)

ARTAS System Cart

– Must be located within 8ft / 2.4m of power, receptable, ethernet port, and customer supplied video cables.

ARTAS Workstation

– Must be located within 6ft / 1.8m, from the back of the ARTAS System Cart.

Desk by Customer

ARTAS System Chair

Recommended locations for the customer supplied secondary monitor

Cart Dimensions Length: 48 inches / 1219mm when robot is in parked position Width: 27 inches / 686mm Height: 68 inches / 1727mm with robot in nominal position

Chair Dimensions Length: 53 inches / 1346mm Width: 29.5 inches / 749mm Height: 41 inches / 1042mm

Cart Weight 750 lbs. / 341 kg.

Chair Weight 180 lbs. / 82 kg.

Electrical 208VAC+/-10%, single phase, 50/60 Hz, 10A.

Required power outlet configuration is: USA: NEMA L6-20R twist lock International/EU: Standard country specific

plug/socket

Temperature Operating: 15-30 deg C and 20-80% humidity Requirements non-condensing; Storage: 0-50 deg C and

0-90% humidity non-condensing

Operating: 59-86 deg F and 20-80% humidity non-condensing; Storage: 32-122 deg F and 0-90% humidity non-condensing

ARTAS® System Technical Specifications

ARTAS® System Typical Room Layout - Harvesting

Continuous Use Yes

Vacuum 29 in-Hg (generated internally)

Pressure 40 psi (generated internally)

FDA Classification Class II

Warranty 1 year manufacturer's warranty

Patents This product and/or its use is covered by one or more of the following U.S. patents: 6,585,746; 7,477,782; 7,627,157; RE 42,381; RE 42,437; 7,962,192; 8,048,090; 8,133,237; D641941; D641942; D644675; 8,199,983; 8,290,229; 8,361,085; and 8,454,627. Additional US and foreign patents pending.

Customer to supply the following:

Personal Computer Running Windows 7 or better; 64 bit version recommended; Intel Core Duo processor; 2 GB RAM or better

Secondary Monitor Recommended 40”+ TV/Monitor HD 1080p;Display Port Cable from monitor to ARTAS System (Exceptions may apply)

Connectivity Ethernet; Downstream speed up to 1.5 mbps; Upstream speed up to 384 kbps; Do not use WiFi

Desk (Workstation) At least 2’ x 3’ working surface

© 2014 Restoration Robotics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from Restoration Robotics, Inc.

RESTORATION ROBOTICS, ARTAS, and the stylized logos are among the trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Restoration Robotics, Inc. in the United States and other countries. MK-23588 Rev G 4/2014

Restoration Robotics, Inc. 128 Baytech Drive San Jose, CA 95134 U.S.A. www.restorationrobotics.com

Documents

Introduciendo el ARTAS System