Medtronic PLC (NYSE:MDT) has just announced that it has received a CE mark for its SureTune2 software, which provides patient-specific visualization to enable physicians to easily make decisions on how to program their patients’ deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy. This kind of therapy is a targeted treatment that offers specific symptom control through mild electrical stimulation to the brain. The brain target is stimulated using leads, which are inserted into the brain and then connected to an implantable neurostimulator by use of extensions that run under the skin.
A medical professional has to use an external programmer to set and adjust stimulation setting of DBS therapy. Having to set the program manually is time-consuming, and this is where SureTune 2 comes in. It uses visualization of patient-specific information in one comprehensive view including calculated stimulation field, anatomy, and physiology while working along Medtronic DBS therapy and other DBS therapy system to select the best stimulation setting for a patient. Medical professionals can segment structure using a greyscale threshold within a region of interest by outlining shapes of interest from a patient.
According to Jens Volkmann, professor of neurology at the University Clinic of Würzburg, SureTune 2 simplifies the trial and error process that is usually associated with DBS programming by helping physicians identify best contacts, which saves time. He further notes that SureTune 2 will have a significant impact on the care of patients with deep brain stimulation because it allows physicians to have a look at activation patterns within individually segmented patient anatomy.
Medtronic’s DBS therapy has been used in over 140,000 patients worldwide with the aim of disabling symptoms of essential tremors, dystonia, and Parkinson’s disease. It is approved in many locations throughout the world but has not yet received approval in the United States.
