Medtronic: An Engineer and the Earthworms That Revolutionized Spinal Cord Stimulation
Medtronic's Inceptiv™, a closed-loop spinal cord stimulator for chronic pain treatment, received FDA approval in April. This breakthrough technology, developed by engineer David Dinsmoor, can sense unique biological signals and adjust stimulation 50 times per second. Dinsmoor's journey began with studying electrical impulses in nightcrawlers, leading to the development of a circuit that could measure evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) in patients. This innovation allows for real-time adjustment of stimulation based on patient movements, addressing the issue of overstimulation in traditional spinal cord stimulators. Inceptiv™ builds on Medtronic's 40-year leadership in neuromodulation, offering more consistent therapy for chronic pain patients.
Il Inceptiv™ di Medtronic, uno stimolatore del midollo spinale a circuito chiuso per il trattamento del dolore cronico, ha ricevuto l'approvazione della FDA ad aprile. Questa tecnologia innovativa, sviluppata dall'ingegnere David Dinsmoor, è in grado di rilevare segnali biologici unici e modificare la stimolazione 50 volte al secondo. Il percorso di Dinsmoor è iniziato con lo studio degli impulsi elettrici nei lombrichi, portando allo sviluppo di un circuito in grado di misurare potenziali d'azione compositi evocati (ECAP) nei pazienti. Questa innovazione consente un adeguamento della stimolazione in tempo reale in base ai movimenti del paziente, affrontando il problema della sovrastimolazione nei tradizionali stimolatori del midollo spinale. Inceptiv™ si basa sui 40 anni di leadership di Medtronic nella neuromodulazione, offrendo una terapia più coerente per i pazienti con dolore cronico.
El Inceptiv™ de Medtronic, un estimulador de la médula espinal de circuito cerrado para el tratamiento del dolor crónico, recibió la aprobación de la FDA en abril. Esta innovadora tecnología, desarrollada por el ingeniero David Dinsmoor, puede detectar señales biológicas únicas y ajustar la estimulación 50 veces por segundo. El viaje de Dinsmoor comenzó con el estudio de los impulsos eléctricos en lombrices, lo que llevó al desarrollo de un circuito que puede medir potenciales de acción compuestos evocadas (ECAP) en pacientes. Esta innovación permite un ajuste en tiempo real de la estimulación basado en los movimientos del paciente, abordando el problema de la sobreactivación en los estimuladores de médula espinal tradicionales. Inceptiv™ se basa en los 40 años de liderazgo de Medtronic en neuromodulación, ofreciendo una terapia más consistente para pacientes con dolor crónico.
메드트로닉의 인셉티브™는 만성 통증 치료를 위한 폐쇄 루프 척수 자극기로, 4월에 FDA 승인을 받았습니다. 이 혁신적인 기술은 엔지니어 데이비드 딘스무어가 개발하였으며, 독특한 생물학적 신호를 감지하고 초당 50회 자극을 조정할 수 있습니다. 딘스무어의 여정은 밤지렁이에서 전기 임펄스를 연구하는 것으로 시작되어, 환자의 유도 복합 행동 전위(ECAP)를 측정할 수 있는 회로의 개발로 이어졌습니다. 이 혁신은 환자의 움직임에 따라 실시간으로 자극 조정이 가능하게 하여, 전통적인 척수 자극기의 과자극 문제를 해결합니다. 인셉티브™는 메드트로닉이 40년 동안 이끈 신경 조절 분야의 경험을 바탕으로, 만성 통증 환자에게 더 일관된 치료를 제공합니다.
Le Inceptiv™ de Medtronic, un stimulateur de la moelle épinière en boucle fermée pour le traitement de la douleur chronique, a reçu l'approbation de la FDA en avril. Cette technologie révolutionnaire, développée par l'ingénieur David Dinsmoor, peut détecter des signaux biologiques uniques et ajuster la stimulation 50 fois par seconde. Le parcours de Dinsmoor a commencé par l'étude des impulsions électriques chez les vers de terre, menant au développement d'un circuit capable de mesurer des potentiels d'action composé évoqués (ECAP) chez les patients. Cette innovation permet un ajustement en temps réel de la stimulation basé sur les mouvements des patients, répondant ainsi au problème de la surstimulation dans les stimulateurs traditionnels de la moelle épinière. Inceptiv™ s'appuie sur les 40 ans de leadership de Medtronic en neuromodulation, offrant une thérapie plus cohérente pour les patients souffrant de douleur chronique.
Medtronics Inceptiv™, ein geschlossenes Wirbelsäulenstimulator zur Behandlung chronischer Schmerzen, erhielt im April die FDA-Zulassung. Diese bahnbrechende Technologie, entwickelt von Ingenieur David Dinsmoor, kann einzigartige biologische Signale erkennen und die Stimulation bis zu 50 Mal pro Sekunde anpassen. Dinsmoors Reise begann mit der Untersuchung elektrischer Impulse bei Nachtkriechern, was zur Entwicklung eines Schaltkreises führte, der evokierte zusammengesetzte Aktionspotentiale (ECAPs) bei Patienten messen kann. Diese Innovation ermöglicht eine Echtzeitanpassung der Stimulation basierend auf den Bewegungen des Patienten und adressiert das Problem der Überstimulation traditioneller Wirbelsäulenstimulatoren. Inceptiv™ baut auf Medtronics 40-jähriger Führungsstärke in der Neuromodulation auf und bietet eine konsistentere Therapie für Patienten mit chronischen Schmerzen.
- FDA approval of Inceptiv™, a new closed-loop spinal cord stimulator for chronic pain treatment
- Technology can sense and adjust stimulation 50 times per second, potentially improving therapy consistency
- Addresses the issue of overstimulation in traditional spinal cord stimulators
- Builds on Medtronic's 40-year leadership in neuromodulation
- None.
As a Medical Research Analyst, I find the development of Medtronic's Inceptiv™ spinal cord stimulator (SCS) to be a significant advancement in chronic pain management. The closed-loop technology, which can sense and adjust to individual biological signals 50 times per second, represents a leap forward in personalized neuromodulation therapy.
Key points to consider:
- The ability to measure evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) in real-time is a technical breakthrough. This allows for more precise and responsive stimulation, potentially reducing overstimulation issues that have been a limitation of previous SCS devices.
- The FDA approval of Inceptiv™ in April indicates that the technology has met rigorous safety and efficacy standards, which is important for investor confidence in medical device companies.
- Medtronic's 40-year history in SCS therapy positions them well to leverage this new technology in the competitive neuromodulation market.
While the innovation is promising, investors should be aware that the long-term efficacy and market adoption of Inceptiv™ will be critical factors in its commercial success. The chronic pain market is substantial, with millions of potential patients, but competition from other device manufacturers and alternative therapies remains fierce.
Overall, this development reinforces Medtronic's position as an innovator in medical technology, which could have positive implications for the company's future growth in the neuromodulation segment.
From a financial perspective, Medtronic's introduction of Inceptiv™ spinal cord stimulator is a noteworthy development that could potentially impact the company's revenue stream in the neuromodulation sector. Here's my analysis:
- Market Opportunity: The global spinal cord stimulation market was valued at approximately
$2.1 billion in 2020 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of8.1% from 2021 to 2028. Inceptiv™'s advanced technology could help Medtronic capture a larger share of this expanding market. - Competitive Advantage: The closed-loop technology sets Inceptiv™ apart from traditional SCS devices. This differentiation could lead to premium pricing and higher profit margins for Medtronic in this product category.
- R&D Investment: The decade-long development process, from initial experiments to FDA approval, represents a significant R&D investment. While this impacts short-term costs, it also creates barriers to entry for competitors and potentially leads to long-term returns.
- Recurring Revenue: SCS devices often require replacements or upgrades over time, which could create a steady stream of recurring revenue for Medtronic if Inceptiv™ gains widespread adoption.
Investors should monitor Inceptiv™'s market penetration and its impact on Medtronic's neuromodulation segment revenues in upcoming quarterly reports. While the innovation is promising, it's important to consider that new medical technologies often face challenges in initial adoption and reimbursement landscapes.
Overall, this development aligns with Medtronic's strategy of maintaining leadership in high-growth medical technology markets, which could positively influence the company's long-term financial performance and stock valuation.
As a Tech Expert, I'm intrigued by the innovative approach Medtronic has taken in developing the Inceptiv™ spinal cord stimulator. The journey from studying earthworms to creating a sophisticated medical device showcases the unpredictable nature of technological breakthroughs.
Key technological aspects to consider:
- Signal Processing: The ability to measure evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) amidst significant noise is a remarkable achievement in signal processing. This is akin to noise-cancellation technology but applied to extremely subtle biological signals.
- Real-time Adaptation: The system's capability to adjust stimulation 50 times per second based on biological feedback represents a significant advancement in real-time computing and decision-making algorithms for implantable devices.
- Miniaturization: Fitting this complex technology into an implantable device requires impressive miniaturization of circuitry and power management systems.
- Battery Technology: For a rechargeable system, advancements in battery technology and power efficiency are important to ensure long-term functionality and patient comfort.
The development of Inceptiv™ demonstrates the potential for cross-disciplinary innovation, combining biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and data science. This approach could inspire similar advancements in other areas of medical technology.
For investors, it's worth noting that such technological leaps can lead to new patent portfolios and intellectual property, which can be valuable assets for medical device companies like Medtronic. The expertise gained in closed-loop systems and real-time biological signal processing could potentially be applied to other medical devices, expanding Medtronic's innovation pipeline.
However, as with any complex technology, reliability and long-term performance will be critical factors to monitor as Inceptiv™ enters wider clinical use.
Insights from the study of nightcrawlers contributed to a key advancement in the treatment of chronic pain
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / July 31, 2024 / In 2010, engineer David Dinsmoor was looking for a project to occupy a high school intern.
So, he sent the intern to the local bait shop to buy the fattest nightcrawlers they could find to see if they could measure electrical impulses from the worms' nervous systems.
It might be hard to believe now, but that experiment helped set the stage for Dinsmoor's work over the next decade: developing a closed-loop feature for Inceptiv™, the new closed-loop spinal cord stimulator, which received FDA approval in April.
The technology represents a major advancement in the treatment of chronic pain through spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy. Medtronic is a leader in the neuromodulation space, after launching the first fully implantable spinal cord stimulator 40 years ago.
But Inceptiv™ builds on that SCS success. It can sense each person's unique biological signals and adjust stimulation accordingly, 50 times per second. And Dinsmoor played a key role in figuring o ut how to "close the loop."
"Early in my career, I wasn't focused on developing a closed-loop technology per se," Dinsmoor said. "For me, it was always about acquiring and measuring these signals from the body. That's the part that I always found the most interesting and still do."
Building circuits, building a career
When Dinsmoor was an undergraduate biomedical engineering student at Case Western Reserve University, he took a class from Professor Thomas Mortimer, one of the early pioneers of spinal cord stimulation. It was Mortimer who helped David get an internship in the Cardiac Rhythm Management business at Medtronic.
"During my internship, I felt that if someone had asked me to build a pacemaker, I couldn't have done it," David said. "I felt like I needed more education to do the work I was interested in doing."
So Dinsmoor went back to school, studying electrical engineering at Stanford University. When he returned to Medtronic a few years later, he put those skills to use building circuits used in several of our devices. But he couldn't envision that work sustaining his interests forever.
Enter the worms.
Less overstimulation, more consistent therapy
Spinal cord stimulators deliver mild electrical impulses to the spinal cord, which disrupt pain signals before they reach the brain. While the technology has undoubtedly improved the lives of thousands of patients through the years, it does have some limitations. As patients go about their daily lives, certain movements and activities may result in overstimulation.
We needed a way to deliver SCS therapy that accounted for patients' movements. The solution: build a system that could detect movements in real-time and adjusts the stimulation within physician programmed levels.
Dinsmoor studied the worms' biological response to stimulation by measuring what is known as "evoked compound action potentials", or ECAPs. Dinsmoor knew that if we could accurately capture and measure ECAPs, it would help us build a closed-loop algorithm for SCS therapy.
However, measuring ECAPS can be difficult because their signals are quite low. In fact, some engineers have equated measuring ECAPS with trying to hear a whisper during a rock concert. Ultimately, Dinsmoor prevailed and built a circuit that could dampen the noise that was interfering with measuring the signals.
Building InceptivTM SCS
Encouraged by former Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak, Dinsmoor started measuring ECAPs in patients and advanced our efforts to create the closed-loop, rechargeable spinal cord stimulation system.
Not only did Dinsmoor drive our preclinical work, but he also played a major role in designing and building InceptivTM, putting his chip design and circuit-building skills to good use.
InceptivTM is now approved for use in the United States and already helping patients with chronic pain, but for Dinsmoor, the research isn't over. He continues his work with ECAPs and hopes to study how common pain medications impact the signals.
"With InceptivTM, it wasn't just about measuring these signals," Dinsmoor said. "It was about taking that and turning it into a therapeutic benefit."
Inceptiv™
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