Abbott won approval for and is releasing a new spinal cord stimulator that can treat chronic pain for up to ten years without requiring a recharge.
The Proclaim XR delivers a low dose version of Abbott’s unique BurstDR waveform, which supposedly delivers a signal similar to the brain’s own patterns. Instead of overdriving the pain signals moving up the spinal cord, the implant uses low power current to modify the signals so that they’re not perceived as pain. This saves on energy and allows the battery to run for longer.
Once the implant is installed, the physician works with the patient to tune the device to deliver the minimal amount of energy in order to control the pain, as this further lowers long-term energy usage. The patient can also use an Apple iPod touch to control the device and change settings to achieve optimal therapy while lowering battery drain.
“For the 50 million people living with chronic pain in the United States this is a new and exciting treatment that is supported with evidence validated by the BOLD study, an established protocol for titrated intermittent dosing to give patients individualized pain relief while using therapy for 6 hours or less per day,” said Timothy Deer, M.D., DABPM, president and chief executive officer of The Spine and Nerve Center of the Virginias in Charleston, W.Va. “Proclaim XR is a major advancement in spinal cord stimulation, and is an evidence-based therapy that is mobile app-based and features upgradeable software. This means patients won’t need surgery to benefit from future advances in this technology.”
Via: Abbott