Cefaly has announced that its eponymous Cefaly device—which is a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved external trigeminal nerve stimulation device for the prevention of frequent episodic migraine attacks—has been revamped.
Cefaly I is now three-quarters its previous size. The device—which now uses magnets to stay in place—is rechargeable. Available only in the US, the company expects the device to be released in Europe in September 2016.
“I am hopeful it will further increase compliance and bring an even larger reduction in migraine attacks to patients,” says Pierre Rigaux, the chief executive officer of Cefaly Technology, and a member of the team that invented the device. “In clinical trials 81% of compliant [Cefaly] patients showed a significant reduction in migraine attacks and up to a 75% reduction in consumption of migraine medications. Now that the device is so small…patients can have their Cefaly II with them wherever they go, which means they will be able to use it more readily, at their most convenient time.”
Cefaly is an electronic, battery-powered, device, placed on the forehead for 20 minutes every day, using a self-adhesive electrode and a magnetic connection. The device sends tiny electrical impulses through the skin to desensitise the upper branches of the trigeminal nerve, with the intention of reducing the frequency of migraine attacks. The new device is designed to allow patients to control their session by increasing the intensity to their desired comfort level. The introduction of a magnetic connection should also mean that the device will more quickly fall into place—and more securely maintain its connection—rather than be affixed to a fastener where a small movement could occasionally interrupt the session.
Cefaly II features a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion polymer 3.7 V battery that replaces the two AAA batteries, which previously contributed to the device’s shape and bulk. The new battery allows for the Cefaly II to be charged either by a USB cable on a home or work computer, or through a wall charger.
