A system and method for harvesting, storing, and implanting biological units,in particular hair follicular units (FUs).The system is particularly useful to facilitate hair transplant procedures.FUs are harvested from a body surface, either attached to apatient or in a strip of removed tissue, and shuttled into a cartridge havinga plurality of receptacles. The receptacles are open in adistal direction toward a removal tool, but a cover over the proximal ends ofthe receptacles prevents the FUs from continuing outof the cartridge. The cover is made of a permissible medium, which may befluid permeable and/or puncturable. One way to shuttlethe FUs is to provide a pressure differential, such as by applying suction tothe proximal end of a receptacle. The shuttle subsystemmay be incorporated within an overall automated or robotic system, or theshuttle subsystem may form part of a semi-automated oreven manual apparatus.
