“AdvaStim was formed to address the multi-billion-dollar neurostimulation market with a hardware and software platform to help device companies and clinician researchers develop the next generation of implantable therapeutics,” said Laurence Derose, founder of AdvaStim, which is based just north of Boston in Beverly, Mass. “Our implantable pulse generator (IPG) technology was designed to accommodate a variety of existing and emerging clinical indications. It offers developers complete independent control over waveform current, duration, rate and phase characteristics. The system architecture is modular, providing a building-block approach for easy customization.”
AdvaStim’s pulse generator technology is based on the company’s VLSI-based ASICore chip architecture, along with its ASIControl embedded software. The combination, according to the company, allows for a broad range of stimulation algorithms that can deliver variable penetration of charge to a volume of neural tissue.
AdvaStim’s ASICore chip architecture is designed for multi-channel switching, user-defined output energy algorithms and external sensor data. Its compact form factor can help enable a new generation of smaller, more flexible and customizable IPGs. ASIControl embedded software is intended to give therapy developers an enhanced range of output energy parameters. It controls modulation of current amplitude and pulse duration, and allows for multi-channel delivery of simultaneous, sequential or independent pulse rates.
The company's system architecture provides a building-block approach for customization for a number of clinical indications including:
- Spinal cord stimulation for chronic intractable pain;
- Deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor;
- Vagal nerve stimulation for epilepsy and depression;
- Sacral nerve stimulation for incontinence; and
- Gastric electrical stimulation for gastroparesis and digestive related problems.
“AdvaStim’s technology gives therapy developers new capabilities to shape the stimulation field and provides tools to allow them to explore the issue of neural adaptation,” said Barry Yomtov, chief technology officer and co-founder of AdvaStim. “Our technology gives developers a cost-effective platform for future growth and a faster track to prototype new therapy devices.”
One of the company's collaborative partners is Cirtec Medical Systems, which provides outsourced design, development and manufacturing services for the medical device industry. The company specializes in active and passive implantable devices as well as minimally invasive surgical, diagnostic and delivery systems.
For a recent study on the neurostimulation market, click here.