New Cannula Improves Treatment Delivery
NeuroTherm, Incorporated launched a new product to support delivery of radiofrequency therapy for patients with chronic pain. The tool incorporates means to deliver local anaesthesia directly into the device that delivers radiofrequency (RF) treatment.
The StimJet RF Cannula is akin to the standard design of needles created for delivery of radiofrequency therapy. It is a hollow RF needle through which probes can be introduced to delivery radiofrequency signals for nerve stimulation, adapted to include a sideport. The sideport, accessed only by adjusting injection tubing, allows clinicians to inject medication to numb the appropriate nerve.
This design offers a number of distinct benefits; the primary which is that the cannula does not have to be removed after nerve identification and replaced after delivery of medication for numbing. This is critical because of the precision required in delivery of therapy; the goal is to treat the nerve site directly. Removal or small movement to placement of the cannula creates the opportunity to miss the therapeutic target. And once the site is numbed, electrical stimulation testing to identify the appropriate location cannot be completed again.
An additional advantage offered by the StimJet is a reduction in procedure time, by using the one device to identify the location for treatment, numb the area, and then complete the radiofrequency treatment.
Chronic pain is an epidemic in the United States, with a continually growing number of Americans who suffer from these ongoing conditions. Improved means to treat such, both accurately and quickly, affords better outcomes for chronic pain patients and a more efficient practice for clinicians dedicated to the treatment of these conditions.
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July 23, 2007 Related topics: New Technology & Innovation, Radiology, Anesthesiology