St Jude Medical has recently announced European CE Mark approval of its new Epiducer lead delivery system for neurostimulation therapy. Unveiled at the Neurosurgery 2010 Congress in Lyon, France, the Epiducer lead delivery system is the first of its kind, allowing introduction of S-Series perc-paddle leads as well as multiple lead arrays through a single percutaneous entry point.
This innovative lead delivery system is designed to reduce procedural complexities. The Epiducer system allows physicians to efficiently place neurostimulation S-Series perc-paddle leads and/or multiple lead arrays utilised in Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) therapy for the management of chronic pain. Before the Epiducer system, the placement of paddle leads was only possible through a laminotomy, a more invasive surgical procedure, which typically requires removal of part of the vertebral bone.
“One of this system’s advantages is that it enables physicians to introduce a perc-paddle lead into the epidural space with a simpler, less invasive procedure,” said Olivier De Coster, an anaesthesiologist, who is head of the Pain Clinic at the Stedelijk Ziekenhuis Hospital in Roeselare, Belgium. “Paddle leads provide numerous therapy benefits including greater stability for reduced risk of migration and more efficient unidirectional stimulation.”
Neurostimulation therapy is used for managing chronic pain of the trunk and limbs and pain from back surgeries that have failed. A paddle lead is a small insulated wire with multiple electrodes on a flat, paddle-shaped surface that is placed in the epidural space near the spine. Mild electrical pulses are carried from the neurostimulator to the lead’s electrodes to interrupt or mask the transmission of pain signals to the brain. Electrodes on the lead can be programmed to meet each individual patient’s needs.“We are pleased to provide physicians with this next-generation lead delivery system,” said Chris Chavez, president of the St. Jude Medical Neuromodulation Division. “The Epiducer system is redefining percutaneous procedures, presenting physicians with a unique, new option to place leads and reduce procedural complexities.”
