Medtronic has received an FDA clearance for its Accurian radiofrequency ablation system for nerve tissues, designed to treat chronic pain through a minimally invasive procedure.
The device uses radio waves to generate heat that burns out small patches of nerves to stop them from sending pain signals—while using advanced software to help control the amount of power delivered and the temperature of the procedure, for more consistent and predictable lesion formations.
According to Medtronic, the Accurian platform can perform standard and pulsed ablation procedures, using internally cooled RF probes to create a range of lesion shapes, sizes and volumes while allowing the physician to control each current channel independently.
Disabling pain lasting more than three to six months affects at least 100 million adults in the U.S., Medtronic said, with related treatment and lost productivity costs reaching $635 billion a year.
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The medtech giant previously received FDA approval and a CE mark for its Intellis spinal cord stimulation implant for chronic intractable pain. The neurostimulator also records the patient’s activity and movement, so physicians can track how well the program is treating pain.