Boston Scientific picked up a CE mark for its rechargeable, MRI-compatible deep-brain stimulation (DBS) system for the treatment of movement disorder symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, dystonia and essential tremor.
While all three conditions are currently incurable, DBS is used to alleviate symptoms. An implanted device sends electrical impulses through lead wires to specific parts of the brain. The FDA has approved DBS as a treatment for the three conditions, but Boston Scientific’s DBS devices are unavailable in the U.S.
Boston Sci’s next-generation Vercise Gevia Deep Brain Stimulation System incorporates new programming software that enables physicians to see how stimulation will be distributed in the brain while they are personalizing therapy, according to a statement.
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Traditionally, doctors will use imaging to determine the exact spot in the brain to target and use patient feedback to program stimulation. The software provides another source of information to help physicians optimize treatment.
“I now have the potential to better define the settings that can help patients because I have the ability to visualize their stimulation field while I am programming," said Patricia Limousin, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London, in the statement. "The Neural Navigator software brings together some of the most critical information I need to customize therapy for patients."
While the FDA has approved DBS as a treatment for Parkinson’s, dystonia and essential tremor, Boston Scientific has yet to crack that market. Its competitors, St. Jude Medical and Medtronic, both sell DBS systems in the U.S.