University of Cambridge engineers have demonstrated a new medical implant that could relieve severe pain by targeting the exact mechanisms through which epidural anesthesia controls pain during childbirth. First, the device is administered with a needle to the spinal cord. Then, once in position, it’s inflated like an air mattress. It works by exposing the spinal cord to mild electrical currents, potentially negating the need for invasive surgeries.
It’s essentially an advanced spinal cord stimulator – a device that rests between the vertebrate and spinal cord, emitting electrical pulses that disrupt pain signals. Such devices are available, but this new injectable one is “advanced” because the others require skilled surgeons to implant them through complex procedures. There is another injectable version, too, but it targets a much smaller area.
Dr. Damiano Barone, one of the article’s senior authors, said:
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a treatment of last resort for those whose pain has become so severe that it prevents them from carrying out everyday activities. However, the two main types of SCS devices both have flaws, which may be one reason their use is limited, even though millions struggle with chronic pain every day.
Hence, the researchers developed a better treatment by combining soft robotics, miniaturized electronics, and microfluidics. The result is an ultra-thin device, about hair-width, fitted with a set of electrodes rolled up into a cylinder and put in a needle. Like this, implantation is easy – a medical professional simply has to inject it into the epidural space of the spinal column and pump it with air or water. It covers a sizable area of the spinal cord when inflated. The electrodes are linked to a pulse generator and start emitting mild electrical currents immediately.
Dr. Christopher Proctor, another senior author of the study, said:
Our goal was to make something that’s the best of both worlds – a clinically effective device, but that doesn’t require complex and risky surgery. This could help bring this life-changing treatment option to many more people.
The team has only demonstrated their device on human cadaver models and in vitro. There’s a lot of work to accomplish before it enters clinical use. They hope that eventually, it will treat chronic and severe pain in the back and other regions like the legs, or even conditions like Parkinson’s disease and paralysis.
Barone said:
The way we make the device means that we can also incorporate additional components – we could add more electrodes or make it bigger to cover larger areas of the spine with increased accuracy. This adaptability could make our SCS device a potential treatment for paralysis following spinal cord injury or stroke or movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. An effective device that doesn’t require invasive surgery could bring relief to so many people.
Back pain is the dominant cause of disability in the UK, costing the economy about £12 billion annually. Meanwhile, the CDC in the US estimates that up to one in twelve Americans suffer from intractable back pain that doesn’t respond to conventional treatments. Therefore, this new technology could significantly improve pain management for so many people, reaching patients who otherwise couldn’t be treated with existing means.
