A blog about what is new (and old) in the world of active implantable medical devices

Category Archives: Neural Stimulation

AIMDs for the stimulation of the nervous system

Medtronic Implants first Activa® PC+S DBS IPG Capable of Sensing and Recording Brain Activity While Delivering Therapy

Posted on by Posted in Alzheimer's, Brain Stimulation, Medtronic, OCD, Parkinson's Disease

Activa PC+S deep brain stimulator with sensing and recording of brain activity David Prutchi PhD www.implantable-device.com

Medtronic today announced the first implant of the novel Activa® PC+S deep brain stimulation (DBS) system that, for the first time, enables the sensing and recording of select brain activity while simultaneously providing targeted DBS therapy.

According to the press release:

This initiates research on how the brain responds to the therapy and could yield insights that one day significantly change the way people with devastating neurological and psychological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder, are treated.

The Activa® PC+S DBS system delivers proven Medtronic DBS Therapy while at the same time sensing and recording electrical activity in key areas of the brain using sensing technology and an adjustable algorithm, which enable the system to gather brain signals at various moments as selected by a physician. Initially, this new technology will be made available to a select group of physicians worldwide for use in clinical studies. These physicians will use the system to map the brain’s responses to Medtronic DBS Therapy and explore applications for the therapy across a range of neurological and psychological conditions.

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Medtronic SureScan Neurostimulators Cleared by FDA for Full-Body MRI

Posted on by Posted in Medtronic, MRI-safe, Pain, Spinal Cord Stimulation

Medtronic Restore Sensor MRI www.implantable-device.comFollowing Medtronic’s announcement in February of this year that it had introduced in Europe the first and only implantable neurostimulation systems indicated for use in the treatment of chronic back and/or leg pain that are designed for full-body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans under specific conditions, the Company announced today that FDA has approved the system for use in the US.  Medtronic SureScan neurostimulation systems include enhancements to existing devices as well as specially designed leads to reduce or eliminate the hazards produced by the MRI environment. The devices also include a proprietary SureScan programming feature, which sets the device into an appropriate mode for the MRI environment.

The press release states:

“With the first U.S. implants of its new RestoreSensor® SureScan® MRI neurostimulation systems, Medtronic, Inc. (NYSE: MDT) is introducing the first and only implantable neurostimulation (also known as spinal cord stimulation, or SCS) systems for use in the treatment of chronic, intractable back and/or limb pain that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for conditionally safe* full-body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) under specific conditions.

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Sydney-based Saluda Medical Developing Closed-Loop SCS System for Pain

Posted on by Posted in Pain, Saluda Medical, Spinal Cord Stimulation

Saluda_MedicalStart-up company Saluda Medical has been awarded $5M by Australia’s New South Wales Government to support the development of a closed-loop spinal cord stimulation system for the treatment of pain.

The difference between other SCS systems and Saluda Medical’s is that the latter – the Implanted Neural Sensing & Stimulation product (INS2) – is that it both stimulates and senses nerve responses.

Saluda was spun out of NICTA – Australia’s largest publicly-funded information and communications technology research organization – earlier this year after successfully raising an initial $5M in private investment.  A new $5M grant was provided to Saluda from the inaugural round of the NSW Government’s Medical Devices Fund (MDF), a competitive technology development and commercialization program funded by the NSW Government through the NSW Ministry of Health.

 An excellent technical/business presentation video on the INS2 is available at: http://www.onemedplace.com/database/list/cid/14611/

Boston Scientific Launches OPTIMISE Trial of Precision™ Neurostimulator for Treatment of Chronic Migraine

Posted on by Posted in Boston Scientific, Migraine, Occipital Nerve Stimulation

Precision Spectra Spinal Cord Stimulator by Boston Scientific www.implantable-device.com David Prutchi, Ph.D.Boston Scientific announced that it has launched a clinical trial to determine whether occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) using the Precision™ System can safely and effectively treat chronic migraine when used in conjunction with anti-migraine medications.   According to the press release:

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Algostim – Greatbatch’s Own Spinal Cord Stimulation System

Posted on by Posted in Greatbatch, Greatbatch Medical (Power), Pain, Spinal Cord Stimulation

 

Greatbatch Algostim System David Prutchi PhD www.implantable-device.comGreatbatch Medical, which moved its headquarters to the Dallas, TX area last year, announced that it has set a target of at least 5%/yr organic growth.  To accomplish this growth, the Company recently announced consolidating operations of its various divisions in order to create efficiency.

In addition however, Greatbatch is diversifying from being strictly a developer of implantable-grade components into a firm capable of developing complete medical devices.  Greatbatch’s CEO Thomas Hook announced in March 2013 that Greatbatch is internally developing its own spinal cord stimulation system.  The device, called Algostim, is nearing completion of development and will be moving into the commercialization phase.  The company is looking for a partner to take the Algostim device into the $1.4 billion spinal cord stimulation market, which has been growing at more than 10%/yr.

Click here for an extract describing Algostim from Greatbatch’s investor day of March 2013.

 

Enopace Receives Additional $5M Investment for Development of Stimulator for Treatment of Heart Failure

Posted on by Posted in Aortic Stimulation, Enopace Biomedical, Heart Failure (CHF), Sorin, Yossi Gross (Rainbow Medical)
Enopace's implantable device

From Patent Application Publication: US 2011/0137370 A1

Sorin recently announced a $5 million investment in Israeli startup Enopace Biomedical, which is developing an endovascular neurostimulation system for heart failure.  Back in October 2011 Sorin invested $7 million to finance the initial clinical studies of Enopace’s technology as well as ongoing product development.

Very scant details are available besides that it is developing a neuromodulation system to treat patients with congestive heart failure. According to the company, its technology consists of a minimally invasive, implantable neurostimulation device that increases cardiac efficiency by reducing left ventricular workload.

From Enopace’s patent applications, it seems that Enopace’s device consists of a stimulation unit that is placed within the aorta close to the heart, and which is driven wirelessly from a coil that is placed within a vein closeby to the artery. The transmitting coil is in turn driven from an implanted control unit that is implanted subcutaneously.

Israeli business news website “Globes” interviewed Enopace’s CEO Amir Dagan, and reported in February 2013:

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Neuromodulation Startup NeuroTronik Raises $13.1M for Development of System for Treating Acute Heart Failure Syndrome

Posted on by Posted in Heart Failure (CHF), Neural Stimulation, NeuroTronik

NeuroTronik Neuromodulation www.implantable-device.comNeuroTronik, a recent spin-off from Synecor, a Chapel Hill business accelerator, announced that it has raised $13.1M for the development of a neuromodulation system intended for the treatment of acute heart failure syndrome.

Douglas Reed, a partner in the VC group backing NeuroTronik said that the device aims to shorten hospital stays and reduce the need of patients to return to the hospital a few weeks later.  According to Reed:

“It’s a way of stimulating the heart to increase the pumping effectiveness, the effectiveness of the contractions, so it improves cardiac function while the device is in place.”

 

NeuroPace Raises $18M of Planned $50M

Posted on by Posted in AIMD Business, Brain Stimulation, Dr. David R. Fischell, Dr. Robert Fischell, Epilepsy, NeuroPace

Image Credit: NeuroPace

NeuroPace is a privately-held company in Mountain View, CA. Their RNS® implantable stimulator, along with depth leads and cortical strip leads are designed for the treatment of medically refractory partial epilepsy.

Unlike Cyberonics’ VNS IPGs, the RNS neurostimulator is designed to detect abnormal electrical activity in the brain and respond by delivering electrical stimulation to normalize brain activity before the patient experiences seizure symptoms. The neurostimulator is implanted in the cranium and connected to one or two leads that are implanted near the patient’s seizure focus.

NeuroPace recently disclosed that it has raised about $18 million of a planned $50 million in new funding. NeuroPace has raised about $180 million since it was founded in 1997.

 

 

Aleva Neurotherapeutic’s Ultra-Flexible Electrode Arrays for DBS

Posted on by Posted in Aleva Neurotherapeutics, Brain Stimulation, Electrodes, Parkinson's Disease
Aleva DBS electrode array www.implantable-device.com David Prutchi PhD

Miniature, ultra-flexible electrode (credit: EPFL)

Aleva Neurotherapeutics is a spinoff of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) Microsystems Laboratory.   Aleva is developing unique microfabricated devices to more specifically target deep-brain stimulation.

kurtzweilai.net recently published an interesting blog about the technology.  From the post:

“Miniature, ultra-flexible electrodes could be the answer to more successful treatment for Parkinson’s diseases, according to Professor Philippe Renaud of the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.

He has developed soft arrays of miniature electrodes in his Microsystems Laboratory that open new possibilities for more accurate and local deep brain stimulation (DBS).

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Mainstay Medical’s Reactiv8 to Treat LBP Caused by Arthrogenic Muscle Inhibition

Posted on by Posted in Mainstay Medical, Muscular Stimulation, Pain, Spinal Cord Stimulation

logo_mainstay1[1]

Mainstay Medical was founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Dr. Danny Sachs. The company’s ReActiv8 neurostimulator is intended to treat chronic low back pain caused by arthrogenic muscle inhibition.  This is a neuroprotective condition in which the brain reflexively attempts to limit motor stimulation and movement in muscles surrounding a joint in response to damage or injury to the joint. In patients with this type of back pain, an initial injury triggers this reflexive inhibition, and the brain tries to limit painful movement by altering nerve transmissions to the deep stabilizing muscles of the spine, causing a loss of motor control, an unstable spine, and greater susceptibility to reinjury.

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Boston Scientific Begins Patient Enrollment in U.S. Clinical Trial of Vercise™ DBS for Parkinson’s Disease, Presents EU Data

Posted on by Posted in Boston Scientific, Brain Stimulation, Parkinson's Disease
Boston Scientific Vercise DBS System www.implantable-device.com David Prutchi, Ph.D.

Image Credit: Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific announced today the first implantation of its Vercise™ DBS System as part of the INTREPID clinical trial. INTREPID is a prospective, multi-center, double-blinded, randomized, controlled study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of motor function and overall quality of life in patients with the Vercise DBS System for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.  According to the press release:

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Neurotech’s ADNS-300 Rechargeable Vagus Nerve Stimulator IPG for Epilepsy

Posted on by Posted in Epilepsy, Neurotech, Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Neurotech vagus nerve stimulator for epilepsy www.implantable-device.com David Prutchi PhD

In June 2012 Neurotech s.a. (http://www.neurotech-int.eu), a Belgium based developer and manufacturer of neurostimulation devices, obtained the CE Mark for its ADNS-300 system for the treatment of refractory epilepsy. According to the press release:

“Advens therapy” uses the ADNS-300 stimulator as a therapeutic option for those patients who are refractory to anti-epileptic drugs and are not eligible for epilepsy (brain) surgery. The ADNS-300 is the world’s first rechargeable neurostimulator for vagus nerve stimulation. The device includes an innovative electrode and a promising “sensing” feature that may prove to be a significant technological breakthrough in the control of response to the therapy. Patients use a remote controller and charger to turn the system on/off and to recharge the neurostimulator.  “Rechargeable systems may prove to be more cost-effective, especially if surgical operations to replace batteries are avoided over time. This helps patients to maintain a more independent life, with a lower risk of potential complications associated with battery replacement surgery.” ‘The role of Rechargeable Systems in Neuromodulation Paul Eldridge et al.’

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St. Jude Medical Signs $40M Equity Investment and $300M Option with Spinal Modulation

Posted on by Posted in Dorsal Root Ganglion Stimulation, Pain, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Spinal Modulation, St. Jude Medical

Axium Neurostimulator David Prutchi PhD www.implantable-device.comSt. Jude Medical and privately-held Spinal Modulation, Inc., today announced that they have entered into a series of agreements under which St. Jude Medical made a $40 million equity investment in Spinal Modulation, a company that has developed an innovative neuromodulation therapy that provides a new pain management option for patients with chronic, intractable pain.

According to the announcement, “the agreement provides St. Jude Medical with an exclusive option to distribute the Axium™ Neurostimulator System, developed and manufactured by Spinal Modulation, in international markets where it is approved for sale. Additionally, St. Jude Medical will have the exclusive option to acquire the company for up to $300 million plus certain revenue-based milestones following U.S. commercialization.

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Micromagnetic Stimulation as an Alternative to Electrical Stimulation for Implantable Devices? I don’t think so…

Posted on by Posted in Magnetic Stimulation, Neural Stimulation, Tech Talk
Principle of micromagnetic stimulation

From: Microscopic magnetic stimulation of neural tissue, Giorgio Bonmassar, Seung Woo Lee, Daniel K. Freeman, Miloslav Polasek, Shelley I. Fried & John T. Gale, Nature Communications 3, Article number: 921

The following captured my attention in the announcement of the 11th World Congress of the International Neuromodulation Society, “Technology Transforming Chronic Illness Management.” From June 8 – 13, 2013:

“Micro-Magnetic Stimulation (Monday, June 10) – John T. Gale, Ph.D., has demonstrated for the first time that deep brain stimulation with micro-magnets can activate brain cells in a living organism. Dr. Gale’s research team has shown that placing a micro-magnet on the auditory pathway of hamsters triggers nerve signal transmission. Stimulation from uniquely designed magnetic fields could avoid unintentional activation of nearby brain areas and the associated side effects. Micro-magnets might one day provide stimulation for heart pacing, cochlear implants, Parkinson’s disease, or neural prosthetics.”

I have worked on TMS before, even home-brewed a TMS device (the design of which is detailed in my book “Design and Development of Medical Electronic Instrumentation: A Practical Perspective of the Design, Construction, and Test of Medical Devices”), but it takes a very large amount of energy to induce sufficient current in the tissue to stimulate excitable tissue, so it peaked my attention that to do so at the implantable level would be under consideration.

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