Neuros Medical Inc.

Article preview from Start-Up - March, 2013

Neuros Medical Inc.’s Altius is an implantable device that transmits a high-frequency electrical signal to a targeted nerve in the stump of a patient experiencing chronic pain stemming from a major limb amputation. Blocking the nerve activity eliminates the pain.

Neuros Medical Inc.

Article preview from Start-Up - March, 2013

Similar to an implantable pacemaker that delivers an electrical signal to the heart, Altius from Neuros Medical Inc. is an implantable device that transmits a high-frequency electrical signal to a targeted nerve in the stump of a patient experiencing chronic pain stemming from a major limb amputation (arm or leg). By blocking the nerve activity, the patient no longer feels pain. The device also includes an external remote-control component for on-demand therapy.

According to Jon J. Snyder, president and CEO of the company, competitive treatment options for stump pain, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), narcotics, and surgical ablation (removal of the nerve), “are collectively only about 30% effective.” In contrast, one completed and one ongoing human clinical trial of Altius “suggests significant reduction in pain from a range of 5 to 8 [on a pain scale of 0 to 10] to 0 or 1, multiple times,” Snyder says.

Snyder also points out that spinal cord stimulation is limited to low-frequency stimulation of around 30 Hz to 40 Hz, whereas Altius is able to stimulate at 5,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz (5 kHz to 10 kHz). “So our device operates at a much higher frequency to block nerve activity,” he says.

Continued...

To read this article in its entirety, purchase now, as a PDF and recieve it immediately via email. Or get it free when you subscribe to Start-Up.

About Start-Up

No publication reviews leading edge companies and technology better than Start-Up. Each issue of Start-Up profiles the most important new product companies, identifies the hottest technology areas, reviews funds flowing into private companies and investment trends, and reports on university tech transfer licensing. Industries covered: pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical equipment & devices, and in vitro diagnostics.

Plus:
To find out about more about more about Elsevier Business Intelligence's medical device publications and databases, multi-user access and/or advertising with Medical Devices Today, please contact Kristy Kennedy at (480) 985-9512