Implantable neurostimulators
Main article: Implantable neurostimulators
Device models
2024
World's first neurostimulator for severe rheumatoid arthritis released
In mid-December 2024, the American company SetPoint Medical introduced a neuroimmune modulation device for the treatment of moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Her task force is patients who respond poorly to standard therapy and patients who do not tolerate biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). Read more here.
For the first time, deep brain stimulation has restored a paralyzed patient's ability to walk
In early December 2024, successful results of a new type of intervention were published, in which deep brain stimulation allowed a paralyzed patient to walk again. The treatment contributed to a reorganization of "residual nerve fibers" that persist after injury, the researchers said.
In 2006, 54-year-old Wolfgang Yeager suffered a spinal cord injury and was confined to a wheelchair, but thanks to the new treatment, he gradually regains mobility and is already able to walk short distances. As part of a clinical study, he underwent deep stimulation of the lateral region of the hypothalamus. For a long time, it was believed that this area is involved only in providing basic functions of the body, such as agitation and nutrition. However, the researchers found that it was also associated with controlling leg movement and could even be involved in motor recovery. In study participants with partial spinal cord injury, stimulation of this area provided meaningful improvement in lower extremity function.
By stimulating the lateral region of the hypothalamus, the researchers were able to awaken dormant neural pathways. With deep stimulation of this zone, both immediate and long-term effects were obtained, so that patients were able to move independently again, and the improvement in motor function was quite stable. Stimulation was performed after careful brain mapping when the patient was fully conscious so that he could provide real-time feedback. According to doctors, the first patient immediately reported that she feels his legs and really wants to walk.
 | Real-time feedback confirmed that we chose the right area for exposure, although it had not previously been associated with foot control in humans, said Jocelin Bloch, a neurosurgeon and professor at the University Hospital of Lausanne (Switzerland).[1] |  |
Russian scientists have proven that electrical stimulation disrupts neural networks in the spinal cord
On February 28, 2024, researchers from St. Petersburg State University (St. Petersburg State University) reported that electrical exposure disrupts the operation of neural networks in the spinal cord. This suggests the need to search for close to natural electrical stimulation modes when working with various sensorimotor disorders.
Neurostimulation by electric current is used in the restoration of neural functions in people with various severe diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In particular, such exposure makes it possible to return patients to locomotor activity of the legs or fine motor skills of the hands. In other words, the artificially induced activity of the neural network replaces the natural one. However, despite the fact that the technology is used in clinical practice, the influence of it on the dynamics of the state of neural networks has been investigated little.
Russian experts have studied how the electrical stimulation of skin afferents - nerve fibers that transmit information from the skin to the central nervous system - affects the processing of proprioceptive signals, that is, signals that allow you to determine the position of the body in space. It turned out that proprioceptive impulses provoke specific responses of the neural network, which were disturbed by simultaneous skin stimulation. This disorder also extended to the somatosensory cortex, indicating that electrical stimulation may affect the natural processing of central nervous system information.
| | Our experiment showed that electrical exposure to skin afferents disrupts the operation of sensorimotor neural networks in the spinal cord. Moreover, the "interference" created in this way extends further, interfering in the work of the cerebral cortex, "says Pavel Musienko, one of the authors of the work, head of the laboratory of neuroprostheses at the Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University. | |
Scientists point to the need to find biomimetic stimulation regimes close to natural. This approach will make appropriate therapy more effective.[2]
The world's smallest remote-controlled deep brain stimulation system has emerged
On January 25, 2024, Abbott announced the Liberta RC device for the treatment of patients with movement disorders. It is said to be the world's smallest remote-controlled deep brain stimulation system. Read more here.
2023
An implant has been developed to stimulate the spinal cord, which restores limb movements in paralyzed
On November 27, 2023, US researchers at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) reported the development of a tiny spinal stimulant that allows mobility to be returned to people with paralysis. You can implant the device with an injection - without the need for more complex surgery. Read more here.
Noctrix Health Wearable Neurostimulator to Treat Restless Legs Syndrome Authorized for Sale in US
Noctrix Health has received approval from the US health industry regulator (FDA) to sell a wearable device it has developed designed to treat restless leg syndrome. Authorization was issued immediately after the successful completion of a randomized placebo-controlled trial that tested the efficacy of Noctrix Health technology. Information about this appeared on April 19, 2023. Read more here.
2022
Abbott launches implantable spinal cord stimulation system with smartphone controls
Abbott has released an implantable spinal cord stimulation system with smartphone controls. Read more here
Brain Cortical Neuromonitoring Implant Released
On December 1, 2022, the Italian company Wise announced the release of the Wise Cortical Strip system for intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring. Read more here.
Spinal cord neurostimulator released to treat children with cerebral palsy
In mid-November 2022, the medical technology company SpineX developed a non-invasive spinal cord neuromodulation technology designed to treat children with cerebral palsy Spinal Cord Innovation in Pediatrics. Read more here.
Brain stimulator developed that charges from breathing
On November 7, 2022, researchers at the University of California, Connecticut, figured out how to get rid of permanent operations while using deep brain stimulation. Scientists have come up with an original way to power deep brain simulators - the use of human respiratory movements.
About 150 thousand deep brain stimulants are implanted annually. They are usually placed under the skin in the chest area, and the electrodes are implanted in the brain. These stimulants are known to help with neurological and psychiatric diseases when traditional treatments do not. The electrodes act on the brain in electrical pulses several times per second to regulate abnormal electrical activity in the brain, a news release said.
Studies have shown that deep brain stimulants can help people with Parkinson's disease and largely reduce symptoms of mental illness, such as treatment-resistant depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. However, these stimulants run on batteries and require replacement every two to three years due to high energy consumption. In addition, each battery replacement requires surgery.
University of Connecticut chemists Esraa Elsanadidi, Islam Mosa, James Rusling and their team found a solution - they developed a deep brain stimulator in which batteries never need to be changed. The device operates in such a way that the movement of the user's chest is converted into electricity. When a person inhales and exhales, the chest wall presses a small and thin electrical generator called a triboelectric nanogenerator.
The nanogenerator converts this motion into static electricity. In the triboelectric nanogenerator of a deep brain stimulator, a current is created that charges the supercapacitor. The latter eventually discharges the electricity that powers the medical device and triggers the brain.
| | We wanted to make sure that this is combined with the rest of the available technologies in the usual way. In principle, if someone already has a deep brain stimulator, we could simply replace the battery with this generator without resorting to installing a completely new device, "said one of the study participants, chemist from Cohn University Jim Rusling. | |
The device was tested by introducing a triboelectric nanogenerator into the chest of a simulated pig containing a porcine lung connected to a pump. As the animal breathed, its chest wall pressed against the nanogenerator, causing the layers inside the latter to rub and generate electricity. Electricity passed through the wire and charged the supercapacitor, powering the electronics of the stimulator located outside the chest. The brain stimulator then used electricity stored in the supercapacitor to generate pulses 60 times per second.[3]
First artificial intelligence spinal cord stimulation system released
In mid-October 2022, Nevro introduced Senza HFX iQ to the market's first spinal cord stimulation system using AI to educate patients. Read more here.
Abbott launches spinal cord stimulation system to relieve battery-powered pain that doesn't need to change for 10 years
On August 23, 2022, Abbott announced the launch of the Proclaim Plus SCS spinal cord stimulation system with FlexBurst360 technology. She has created pain relief for up to six areas of the torso or limbs. The device has a program that adjusts depending on a person's therapeutic needs. Read more here.
A wireless neurostimulator has been developed that is delivered through blood vessels
In mid-March 2022, Rice University researchers unveiled a tiny neurostimulation device that can be delivered intravascular and requires no battery or wired connection. A device about the size of a rice grain can be advanced through the vascular system until it is near the target nerve, after which the doctor can attach it to the vessel wall for long-term implantation. The stimulator does not require batteries and is powered by an external magnetic emitter. The researchers hope that this technology could be a replacement for bulkier neurostimulation devices that require built-in batteries or wires that penetrate the body. Read more here.
Onward Medical neurostimulators help paralyzed patients learn to swim and cycle again
In early February 2022, it became known that an implant developed by Onward Medical to stimulate the spinal cord allowed three paralyzed patients to independently take steps on a treadmill within one day after the device was activated. Patients were also able to stand, walk, swim and pedal their bikes after the start of rehabilitation, which began in the summer of 2021. The first introduction of technology to restore the function of the hand and hand is expected in early 2023. Read more here.
2020: Announcement of Roo neurostimulator that allows newborns to quickly get rid of drugs taken by pregnant woman
In mid-August 2020, the company Spark Biomedical introduced a neurostimulator that Roo allows newborns to quickly get rid of drugs those they took. pregnant woman The therapy used, called percutaneous auricular neurostimulation (tAN), encourages brain the release of endorphins that bind to opioid receptors and thereby reduce the brain's need for opioids. More. here
2019: One of the electric neural stimulator models
In the video below, the girl does not control her muscles. The device uses electric currents to stimulate motor nerves in the forearm to activate the motor response in the arm and wrist.
This method is used with patients who have difficulty performing independent movements.
Notes
- ↑ Paralysed patients able to walk short distances after having electrodes implanted in their brains
- ↑ Close to natural modes: neuroscientists at St. Petersburg State University measured the response of the nervous system to electrical stimulation
- ↑ This deep brain stimulator needs no batteries, only your breath
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