Abbott is releasing in the U.S. its Proclaim DRG neurostimulation system to fight chronic pain in patients with complex regional pain syndrome in their legs. The product consists of an implantable neuromodulator that stimulates the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), an Apple iPad for programming the device, and an iPod touch for the patient control of the device. In a recent clinical trial, dorsal root ganglion stimulation has shown markedly better outcomes over spinal cord stimulation in many patients suffering from chronic pain in the lower extremities.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is used to change the settings on the implant and to control how much stimulation it should administer. The software aboard the implant can also be updated wirelessly.

Compared to Abbott’s first generation DRG neurostimulator, the Axium, the new Proclaim DRG implant has a greater battery life, allowing it to be used continuously longer without replacement.

Being MR-conditional, patients with the Proclaim DRG implant can still receive magnetic resonance scans (up to 1.5 Tesla), as long as certain precautions are taken.

“Both clinical and real world data have shown that DRG stimulation produces long-term, meaningful pain relief for patients with complex regional pain syndromes – like those resulting after total knee arthroplasty, foot surgery or hernia surgery,” in Abbott’s announcement said Timothy Deer, M.D., an interventional pain physician, president and chief executive officer of the Spine and Nerve Center of the Virginias in Charleston, West Virginia, who studied the device. “The ability to offer DRG stimulation on the Proclaim platform is a very exciting advancement for those of us who treat patients with these debilitating conditions and want to provide relief from hard-to-treat neuropathic conditions.”