The U.S. FDA has approved Medtronic’s Percept™ RC Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) system. The rechargeable neurostimulator is the latest innovation in the Medtronic Percept™ family. Percept™ is the only sensing-enabled DBS system on the market. It allows the physician to personalize treatment for patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and dystonia as well as epilepsy.
DBS Background
Over 11 million people in the U.S. are living with movement disorders and approximately 3.4 million with epilepsy.
DBS uses a surgically implanted medical device, similar to a cardiac pacemaker. Medtronic Percept™ neurostimulators transmit electrical signals via slender wires to specific brain targets affected by debilitating neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
Percept™ RC is the smallest and thinnest dual channel neurostimulator available for DBS. It is equipped with BrainSense™ technology that captures and records brain signals. As a result, a healthcare provider is able to adapt and personalize therapy to a patient’s evolving needs.
Unlike other rechargeable devices, the Percept™ RC battery offers at least 15 years of service life. Furthermore it delivers consistent and fast recharge performance. Indeed the company says patients can experience rapid recharging from 10% to 90% full charge in less than an hour. Moreover Medtronic patented battery technology claims less battery fade than other rechargeable devices.
Clinician comments
“While more data are needed, the sensing capability of this unique deep brain stimulation system allows me the potential to tune stimulation delivery to brain activity. This may be a way to personalize this therapy for Parkinson’s disease in the future,” said Casey H. Halpern, M.D., Neurosurgeon and deep brain stimulation expert.
Eleni Okeanis Vaou, M.D., FAAN, is associate professor of neurology. She commented about the system: “This new rechargeable neurostimulator technology provides me with insights into my patients’ symptoms and can capture data even when they’re outside of the clinic.
“Now I have a rechargeable DBS therapy option with sensing technology allowing me to track a patient’s response to DBS and medications. I use this data to inform how to personalize and optimize patient therapy.”
Dr. Vaou is a deep brain stimulation expert with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and is not affiliated with Medtronic. She and the institution do not endorse products or services.
Company comments
“Our DBS therapy with exclusive BrainSense™ technology can help control debilitating tremors for people living with Parkinson’s, providing patients with the ability to physically engage in everyday moments – something many of us unintentionally take for granted,” said Amaza Reitmeier, vice president and general manager, Brain Modulation within the Neuromodulation business.
“We are transforming brain modulation through sensing-enabled DBS. We will continue to drive therapy innovation with the goal of many more peoples’ lives improved with Medtronic DBS therapy.”
MRI-Conditional DBS
Nearly 70 percent of all DBS-eligible patients are estimated to require an MRI as part of their essential care. Medtronic was the first in the United States to offer full-body MR Conditional DBS systems for patients to have safe scans anywhere on the body under specific conditions.
Percept™ offers greater freedom and scan access for patients with 3T scans and best-in-class 1.5T MRI scan labeling. Medtronic has the only DBS system that allows patients to have stimulation on in bipolar mode during an MRI. In addition, the Percept™ neurostimulators are engineered to allow for future software updates. Specifically this does not require a neurostimulator device exchange.
Percept™ RC is available immediately throughout the U.S., as well as via CE Mark approval in Europe and availability in Japan.
For further information on the Percept™ neurostimulators with exclusive BrainSense™ technology, visit Medtronic’s pages here.
More about DBS systems on our pages here.
Source: PR Newswire
