Pain pacemaker unveiled

Monday May 11th, 2015

A pain pacemaker could revolutionise the care of people with severe nerve damage, it has been announced.

The device, a small ion pump, has been developed in Sweden. Developers say it could be in clinical use in five to ten years.

Scientists from Linköping University and the Karolinska Institute revealed their work in the journal Science Advances.

The device targets doses of neurotransmitters to the point where damaged nerves come into contact with the spinal cord, protecting the brain from pain.

So far the device has been tested on laboratory rats. It uses electric current to spread a "thin cloud" of neurotransmitters at the target point on the spinal cord.

Researcher Professor Magnus Berggren said: “The ion pump can be likened to a pacemaker, except for alleviating pain."

Fellow researcher Professor Daniel Simon said: “What’s unique is that we’re using organic electronics to send the body’s own chemical signals. The organic materials are easily accepted by the body, and they communicate just as in biology – with charged ions."

Therapy using implanted organic bioelectronics Science Advances 8 May 2015 [abstract]

Tags: Europe | Pain Relief

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