A blog about what is new (and old) in the world of active implantable medical devices

Category Archives: Bioness

Bioness StimRouter CE-Marked to Treat Fecal Incontinence

Posted on by Posted in Bioness, Incontinence, Sacral Root Stimulation, Spinal Cord Stimulation

Image Credit: Bioness

Bioness announced that its StimRouter received the CE-Mark to Treat Fecal Incontinence.

Unlike most externally-powered neurostimulators, the StimRouter is not powered by RF received from the external transmitter. Instead, the external pulse transmitter is more like a TENS unit with gelled electrodes applied to the skin. The implant has no electronic components. It is just a lead that has a coil electrode that intercepts part of the current between the TENS electrodes, and routes the captured current to small electrodes in contact with the target nerve at the distal end of the lead. Continue reading→

Bioness’ StimRouter Implantable Neurostimulator Reroutes TENS Pulses

Posted on by Posted in Bioness, Pain, PNS, Sacral Root Stimulation, Spinal Cord Stimulation, Wireless Power Transmission

Bioness' StimRouter implantable neurostimulator. www.implantable-device.com David Prutchi PhD

Bioness is a Valencia, California medical device/rehabilitation company founded by the late Alfred Mann some 15 years ago. He had previously acquired a miniature stimulator called the BION, and a company called NESS who had a footdrop stimulator. The combination of the two is where the name Bioness came from.

One of its products is the “StimRouter”, which is an externally-powered implantable peripheral nerve stimulator designed to reduce chronic pain. It gained FDA approval in 2015 and was launched in mid-2016.

Unlike most externally-powered neurostimulators however, the StimRouter is not powered by RF received from the external transmitter. Instead, the external pulse transmitter is more like a TENS unit with gelled electrodes applied to the skin. The implant has no electronic components. It is just a lead that has a coil electrode that intercepts part of the current between the TENS electrodes, and routes the captured current to small electrodes in contact with the target nerve at the distal end of the lead.

Continue reading→