The DRG invisible trial system has secured CE mark in Europe, as well as approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
People suffering with chronic pain can use the DRG invisible trial system to draw Abbott’s dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation, a non-opioid treatment option for targeted chronic pain management.
Later, the patients with adequate pain relief can be implanted with Abbott’s Proclaim DRG system to manage their pain with Apple consumer technology.
Abbott’s DRG therapy is said to target the dorsal root ganglion, which is a structure adjacent to the spinal cord densely covered with sensory nerves that transmit chronic pain to the central nervous system.
The therapy enables to block pain signals with electrical pulses transmitted over the DRG in the patients with neuropathic pain conditions.
The Accurate study has showed that DRG therapy can offer better pain relief compared against traditional spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy for patients with persistent neuropathic focal pain conditions.
Abbott’s DRG invisible trial system enables minimally invasive evaluation period. The thin wires are placed in the spinal column near the DRG during an outpatient procedure and small external battery will be placed under clothes, which is invisible to the public.
The patient will use an Apple iPod touch to manage their pain relief for around a week. The new DRG invisible trial system is an extension to the invisible trial system for BurstDR stimulation.
Abbott claims that it is the only firm to provide DRG therapy with FDA approval and CE mark through an evaluation period and implantable neurostimulation device.
Abbott neuromodulation medical director Dr Allen Burton said: “With Abbott’s pioneering work to provide new options to treat different types of chronic pain, the intuitive DRG Invisible Trial System gives pain sufferers new hope.
“By enabling a temporary trial, people can test the treatment before receiving a permanent implant. If they experience meaningful pain relief, they can choose to move forward with our DRG therapy and find long-term pain relief—helping them live a fuller, healthier life again without relying on opioids.”
