Image Credit: NeuroPace
NeuroPace is a privately-held company in Mountain View, CA. Their RNS® implantable stimulator, along with depth leads and cortical strip leads are designed for the treatment of medically refractory partial epilepsy.
Unlike Cyberonics’ VNS IPGs, the RNS neurostimulator is designed to detect abnormal electrical activity in the brain and respond by delivering electrical stimulation to normalize brain activity before the patient experiences seizure symptoms. The neurostimulator is implanted in the cranium and connected to one or two leads that are implanted near the patient’s seizure focus.
External products include the programmer, a laptop computer with proprietary software that has a wand and telemetry interface enabling communication with an implanted RNS neurostimulator. Physicians use the programmer to non-invasively program the detection and stimulation parameters of an implanted device. Additional features of the programmer include the ability to view the patient’s brain electrical activity (electrocorticogram or ECoG) in real-time and the ability to upload the patient’s ECoGs that have been stored in the RNS neurostimulator.
(A) A schematic drawing and (B) a skull X-ray of the RNS® after implantation. The implantable device (1) records, processes and transmits electroencephalographic signals, in addition to generating the electrical stimuli. The implantable depth (2) and strip (3) electrodes monitor brain signals and deliver electrical stimulation to stop seizures. From: Technology Insight: neuroengineering and epilepsy—designing devices for seizure control, by William C Stacey and Brian Litt, Nature Clinical Practice Neurology (2008) 4, 190-201
Company website: www.neuropace.com
Click here for NeuroPace’s patents.
Click here for paper “Technology Insight: neuroengineering and epilepsy—designing devices for seizure control”, by William C Stacey and Brian Litt, Nature Clinical Practice Neurology (2008) 4, 190-201
Image Credit: Medical College of Georgia