Boston Scientific Corp. (NYSE:BSX) launched two spinal cord stimulation lead splitters for use with its Precision Plus spinal cord stimulator system.
The new design enables multi-site placement of up to four spinal cord leads designed to deliver electrical pulses that mask back pain signals on their way to the brain.
Boston Scientific said in a press release the device "is the world’s first rechargeable SCS device for the management of chronic pain of the trunk, back and/or limbs."
The Natick, Mass.-based medical device giant launched a clinical trial comparing the Precision Plus stimulation system with spine re-operation in patients with failed back surgery syndrome.
The Precision Plus system is designed to pass electrical signals along the spinal cord to the brain, masking pain signals by fooling the brain into perceiving them as pleasurable. It’s aimed at patients with chronic pain in the torso or limbs who haven’t had any luck treating the symptoms with physical therapy, drugs or surgery. Boston Scientific said the new multi-splitter system is intended to give physicians a broader range of lead configurations so they have more treatment options for chronic pain patients. Boston Scientific adapted the Precision Plus system from its work with cochlear implant technology, according to a Frost & Sullivan report analyzing the neurostimulation market.
That market is expected to grow by more than 204 percent by 2013, according to the report, with the spinal cord stimulation segment accounting for the lion’s share. SCS technologies grabbed about 70 percent of total neurostimulation product sales in 2006, according to Frost & Sullivan.
