New Treatment Option for Alleviating Chronic Pain

The Proclaim Elite SCS System is designed to offer pain relief without disruptions, since it involves no external wires, wands, or recharging. With the aid of a programmer application, clinicians can adjust patient’s SCS therapy using an Apple (Cupertino, Ca, USA) iPad mini digital device. In addition, patients can evaluate their SCS therapy using the proprietary Invisible Trial System, a discreet, app-based and wireless neuromodulation programming system that leverages Apple iPod touch mobile digital devices.

The system improves patient convenience by removing the burden of regularly recharging the neuromodulation device, while an upgradable platform allows patients to access future SCS technology upgrades, such as new stimulation waveforms and software updates, without surgical device replacement. The system is also compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which will allow patients to safely undergo head and extremity scans. The Proclaim Elite SCS System is a product of St. Jude Medical (SJM; St. Paul, MN, USA), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“The new St. Jude Medical Proclaim Elite system bridges the gap between today’s state-of-the-art therapies and tomorrow’s groundbreaking innovations for chronic pain,” said Allen Burton, MD, medical director of neuromodulation at St. Jude Medical. “The wireless platform is based on the latest Apple technologies, making it upgradeable to new therapies for the future. With a discreet, hassle-free trial system and a simple permanent implant procedure, this pioneering platform can improve both the patient’s chronic pain and overall therapy experience.”

“In the last 10 years of SCS, we have seen advances in rechargeable technology, but less attention paid to therapy compliance and how patients interact with their device,” said Timothy Deer, MD, President and CEO of The Center for Pain Relief (Charleston, WV, USA). “Now with the Proclaim Elite SCS system we can offer appropriate patients an optimal low-maintenance experience while enabling access to future therapies without the need for additional surgeries.”

SCS generates electrical pulses that mask or interrupt pain signals as they travel to the brain, thus reducing pain sensation. Traditionally, SCS uses equally spaced electrical pulses to replace pain with a tingling sensation similar to paresthesia. SCS is used mostly in the treatment of failed back surgery syndrome, complex regional pain syndrome, and refractory pain due to ischemia.

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