Advanced Neuromodulation Systems receives European approval for Rapid Programmer

Jan 18 2007

Advanced Neuromodulation Systems (ANS), the neuromodulation business of St. Jude Medical, Inc., has announced European CE Mark approval for its newest clinician programming platform, Rapid Programmer 3.0 for spinal cord stimulation (SCS), an advanced therapy for managing chronic pain.

Coinciding with this approval, ANS has launched an upgraded version of its rechargeable spinal cord stimulation device, the Eon® with NeuroDynamix technology. The Eon's proprietary new microchip and enhanced software, together with Rapid Programmer 3.0, create a sophisticated system to provide patients with customized pain coverage.

Spinal cord stimulators like Eon are used to treat patients suffering with chronic intractable pain. These "pacemakers for pain" interrupt the pain signals' pathway to the brain by delivering low intensity electrical pulses to selective nerve fibers along the spinal cord. More than 30,000 patients worldwide have been implanted with ANS neurostimulation systems to help alleviate their chronic pain.

"The enhanced Eon and the new Rapid Programmer platform work together as an integrated system to provide clinicians greater speed, power, efficiency and precision for helping patients address complex pain," said Chris Chavez, president of Advanced Neuromodulation Systems.

Rapid Programmer 3.0 features two new technologies for delivering stimulation to pain patients:

• Dynamic MultiStim - This technology allows for real-time programming adjustments to multiple areas of pain, which better targets pain coverage and decreases programming time. This is especially useful when patients have complex pain patterns, such as a combination of back and leg pain.
• Active Balancing - This capability lets patients and clinicians easily fine-tune stimulation levels in multiple coverage areas, quickly establishing relief and giving patients sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, control over their therapy.

The upgraded Eon stimulator provides the longest time between recharges available today giving patients added flexibility in their recharging schedule. Additionally, the new Eon has market-leading power output, supplying 25 percent more power than its predecessor and enabling it to meet the varying power requirements of individual patients. The device also has the highest frequency capability on the market, allowing it to serve patients who need higher frequencies to control their pain.