Abbott has announced the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the company’s Eterna spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, which it claims is the smallest implantable, rechargeable spinal cord stimulator currently available on the market for the treatment of chronic pain.
Eterna SCS utilises Abbott’s proprietary low-dose BurstDR stimulation, which—according to the company—is the only SCS waveform technology with the highest level of clinical evidence (1A evidence), proven to reduce pain by 23% more than traditional waveform technology approaches.
Abbott developed Eterna based on extensive studies with patients, physicians and caregivers to understand the unmet needs of people living with chronic pain. These studies found that people wanted a smaller implant for comfort while reducing the need to charge the device daily or weekly. With patient needs front of mind, Abbott created Eterna to be recharged fewer than five times a year under normal use, making it the lowest recharge burden platform on the market, a company press release states.
In addition to its reduced size and low recharging requirements, key features of the device include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) capabilities, an upgradable platform and iPhone integration.
“Abbott’s low-dose BurstDR stimulation is clinically proven to reduce pain, improve people’s ability to perform everyday activities, and reduce emotional suffering associated with pain,” said Timothy Deer (Spine and Nerve Centers of the Virginias, Charleston, USA). “Until now, it was not available on a rechargeable device that was this small, and that only needs to be charged a few times a year. This makes a big difference in comfort for many patients who now can have access to the best of both worlds—a small, best-in-class rechargeable device with superior stimulation therapy.”
