rechargeable chronic pain system: Advanced Neuromodulation Systems

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Advanced Neuromodulation Systems receives Australian approval for

rechargeable chronic pain system

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=20379

Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS), the neuromodulation business

of St. Jude Medical, Inc, today announced Australian Therapeutic

Goods Administration (TGA) regulatory approval for its Eon

Rechargeable Neurostimulation System. In Australia, the Eon system is

fully reimbursable via the private health system.

Patients at the Pain Management Research Institute, Royal North Shore

Hospital in Sydney, were among the first to receive the Eon system.

Pain Medicine Specialist Professor Cousins, M.D., who

performed one of the first surgeries, said, " Eon was easy to implant

and the patients continue to gain substantial pain relief. With its

rechargeable battery, Eon is a good option for patients who require

high-power stimulation settings and need to use the system for a

large percentage of the day. "

Eon delivers spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy to treat chronic,

intractable pain of the trunk and limbs, including pain associated

with failed back surgery syndrome. Similar to a cardiac pacemaker,

this " pacemaker for pain " uses mild electrical pulses from leads

selectively placed near the spinal cord to interrupt pain signals to

the brain.

Eon contains the highest-capacity rechargeable battery available,

which is designed to last a minimum of seven years at high-power

settings. This allows patients to go longer between battery

replacement surgeries. The rechargeable technology is easy for

patients to understand and use - they simply recharge the device

periodically, similar to recharging a mobile phone. Eon can power up

to 16 independent electrodes, which allows clinicians more

programming options to better manage the patient's pain.

" Approval of the Eon system provides physicians in Australia with a

new tool to combat chronic pain, " said Chavez, president of

ANS. " The full power of the Eon system is realized when coupled with

advanced clinician programming features of Rapid Programmer 3.0, such

as Dynamic MultiStim and Active Balancing. Eon and this programming

platform work together as an integrated system to provide clinicians

greater speed, precision and effectiveness in addressing complex

pain. "

Chronic pain is a largely under-treated and misunderstood disease

that affects millions of people worldwide. The World Health

Organization, in conjunction with the International Association for

the Study of Pain (IASP), reports that " One in five people suffers

from moderate to severe chronic pain, and one in three is unable or

less able to maintain an independent lifestyle due to pain. " Spinal

cord stimulators like Eon often allow patients to greatly reduce

their need for potent and potentially addictive pain medication.

Eon was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005.

Approximately 25,000 patients in more than 25 countries around the

world use ANS neurostimulation devices to manage chronic pain.

http://www.ans-medical.com