Innovative smart storage device versus various storage devices for hair grafts: Functions they serve

Objectives

Storage of hair transplant grafts after harvesting and before implantation is a critical step that is often considered passive. However, it involves proper hydration, segregation, total and segregated counting, ergonomic arrangement in chronological order of harvesting, and eventual pickup and implantation using forceps or an implanter following the first-out first-in principle. The objective of this article is to systematically compare the available graft storage devices with respect to the functions they serve and to describe an innovative Smart Storage Device that serves all the ideal functions identified. Material and Methods: The available graft storage devices were identified, and their functional characteristics were analyzed. These included: (1) glass or stainless-steel petri-dishes with gauze/Telfa, (2) petri/stainless-steel/plastic dishes without gauze, (3) wooden spatula with gauze, (4) Teflon or similar plates with depressions, and (5) the authors' innovative smart storage device. Each device was evaluated against a set of ideal characteristics identified by the authors, including ability for graft segregation, simultaneous total and individual counting, ergonomic arrangement, individual graft inspection, spacing between grafts, ease of graft pick-up from upper one-third, prevention of dehydration, adherence to first-out first-in chronology, accuracy of graft count, number of staff required, risk of gauze thread contamination, speed of implantation facilitation, quality control in FUT, cooling possibility, and transparency of graft count. The advantages and disadvantages of all devices were tabulated.