Healthcare Industry News: Spinal Cord Stimulator
News Release - December 3, 2009
New Neurostimulation Patient Programming Software Enables More Thorough and Efficient Capture of Complex Pain Patterns
St. Jude Medical Unveils MultiSteering Technology Software at the 13th Annual North American Neuromodulation Society MeetingST. PAUL, Minn.--(HSMN NewsFeed)--St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ ) today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its next-generation MultiSteering Technology software for Rapid Programmer™, a programming platform used to optimize neurostimulation therapy for chronic pain patients. Introduced at the North American Neuromodulation Society annual meeting, this new software is designed to help healthcare professionals thoroughly and efficiently program devices for patients with complex pain patterns, eliminating unnecessary, inefficient steps.
MultiSteering Technology helps the programmer customize neurostimulation therapy for managing chronic pain of the trunk and limbs and pain from back surgeries that have failed. Spinal Cord Stimulators (also known as neurostimulators) deliver mild electrical pulses to leads placed in the epidural space near the spine to interrupt the transmission of pain signals to the brain.
“This latest software advancement provides clinicians with a tool that allows them to customize each patient’s therapy faster and more efficiently than conventional programming,” said Chris Chavez, president of the St. Jude Medical Neuromodulation Division. “The introduction of MultiSteering Technology also expands our programming capabilities to help improve patient outcomes for even the most challenging of cases.”
MultiSteering Technology software:
- Allows more than 10 times the number of electrode configurations to be evaluated in the same amount of time as conventional programming
- Efficiently captures multiple painful areas by enabling the clinician to evaluate stimulation patterns in real time
- Provides control of multiple stimulation fields for optimal pain coverage
Chronic pain is a largely under-treated and misunderstood disease that affects millions of patients worldwide. According to the American Pain Foundation, chronic pain affects more than 76.5 million people in the U.S., while the National Institutes of Health estimates that chronic pain costs the U.S. economy $100 billion a year in lost work time and medical expenses.
More than 60,000 patients in 35 countries have been implanted with St. Jude Medical neurostimulation systems. Patients can obtain more information about neurostimulation therapy at www.PowerOverYourPain.com.
About St. Jude Medical
St. Jude Medical develops medical technology and services that focus on putting more control into the hands of those who treat cardiac, neurological and chronic pain patients worldwide. The company is dedicated to advancing the practice of medicine by reducing risk wherever possible and contributing to successful outcomes for every patient. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., St. Jude Medical employs more than 14,000 people worldwide and has four major focus areas that include: cardiac rhythm management, atrial fibrillation, cardiovascular and neuromodulation. For more information, please visit sjm.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements include the expectations, plans and prospects for the Company, including potential clinical successes, anticipated regulatory approvals and future product launches, and projected revenues, margins, earnings and market shares. The statements made by the Company are based upon management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include market conditions and other factors beyond the Company’s control and the risk factors and other cautionary statements described in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including those described in the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements sections of the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended April 4, 2009, July 4, 2009 and October 3, 2009. The Company does not intend to update these statements and undertakes no duty to any person to provide any such update under any circumstance.
Source: St. Jude Medical
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