Medical Areas Procedures Products

Pain Management

Boston Scientific’s Pain Management business develops less invasive microelectronic implantable technologies used to treat chronic neuropathic pain. The use of minute pulses of electricity delivered directly to nerves, known as Spinal Cord Stimulation, has been in use for more than 30 years. Without the unwanted side effects and long term costs associated with pain medications, and less invasive than surgical procedures such as spinal fusion, Spinal Cord Stimulation is a reversible therapy that has helped thousands of people find relief from chronic pain.

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Overview

PROCEDURES AND PRODUCTS

Overview

Fast Facts

The Precision Plus™ system is the only¹ SCS system with Multiple Independent Current Control, which means that each electrode contact on the lead has its own, dedicated power source. All other SCS systems have just a single power source that must be shared by all contacts on the lead. Multiple Independent Current Control allows the clinician to precisely target pain by moving the electric field between simultaneously active contacts.

Studies² have shown that impedances change along the lead both at time of implant and as tissue encapsulates the lead over time. These impedance changes alter the electric fields that drive therapy. The Precision Plus system is the only system to-date that automatically adjusts for impedance changes at each contact to maintain the prescribed therapy over time.

The Precision Plus system is the only system to-date powered by a revolutionary Zero-Volt™ battery that can be completely discharged without causing battery failure, which can reduce surgical interventions. Similar to cell phones, conventional SCS systems rely on rechargeable batteries that fail or suffer irreversible damage when over-discharged.

Designed for greater patient comfort, the Precision Plus implant is half-the-size of other rechargeable SCS devices.

The Precision Plus system offers the only battery with a 5-year warranty, five times longer than any competitive warranty.

Precision Plus is the only SCS system to-date that allows patients to control their therapy with a wireless patient Remote Control that never uses a cord.

Precision Plus is the first and only system to-date that is designed to precisely target pain through patient interaction with a user-friendly Joystick.³

Precision Plus is the only system to-date that offers leads with 1mm-spaced contacts designed to sculpt the electric field and eliminate “dead spots” along the lead.⁴

¹"The Technology: The Anatomy of a Spinal Cord and Nerve Root Stimulator: The Lead and the Power Source" Bradley Pain Medicine - Vol 7 - nb S1 – 2006.
²"Variability of contact impedance over time in SCS." Abstracts of the ASSFN Biennal Meeting - Oct 2004 -Oakley, Prager, Krames, Weiner, Stamatos, Bradley.
³"Stimulator Program Preferences using a new SCS system" Oakley, Prager, Krames, Weiner, Stomatos, Bradley - ASSFN 2004.
⁴"The Technology: The Anatomy of a Spinal Cord and Nerve Root Stimulator: The Lead and the Power Source" Bradleys Pain Medicine - Vol 7 - nb S1 – 2006.