St. Jude Launches DBS System in Europe

St. Jude Medical Inc., a global medical device company, announced the European launch of the St. Jude Medical Infinity Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) System and directional DBS lead. The system, which received CE Mark approval late in 2015, will support the treatment of patients with the three most common movement disorders in the world: Parkinson’s disease, tremor and dystonia, a disorder which causes involuntary muscle contractions.
 
Movement disorders are neurologic conditions caused by a communication breakdown throughout the central nervous system that can result in a debilitating loss of muscle control, involuntary movement and reduced coordination. There are currently no proven cures for movement disorders, which means treatment options focus on alleviating symptoms to improve quality of life. St. Jude Medical designed the Infinity system to improve the experience of patients who rely on DBS therapy to manage their symptoms. The company also developed the St. Jude Medical directional lead to help physicians more accurately tailor DBS therapy to their patient’s specific needs while reducing side effects.
 
The first physician to implant the new Infinity system and the St. Jude Medical directional lead was Prof. Jan Vesper, a professor of functional neurosurgery and stereotaxy at the University Hospital in Düsseldorf, Germany, and president of the German Neuromodulation Society.
 
“The Infinity system is the first DBS system I’ve encountered that adjusts to the patient’s individual needs, rather than forcing the patient to adjust to the system,” said Prof. Vesper. “Offering my patients a DBS system with exceptional ease of use and smooth manageability is an exciting step in the treatment of debilitating movement disorders.”
 
A DBS system, like the St. Jude Medical Infinity DBS system, delivers mild electrical pulses to specific targets in the brain to stimulate the structures involved in motor control. With the launch of the Infinity system, St. Jude Medical aims to empower physicians to more accurately deliver stimulation with a DBS system. The new St. Jude Medical directional lead can deliver stimulation more precisely through eight independent electrodes that allow physicians to specifically direct current to targeted structures and areas of the brain. This advance will allow physicians to tailor the therapy to a patient’s specific needs while avoiding unnecessary stimulation to areas that may create side effects.
 
The Infinity system also offers new, distinct patient advantages. For patient comfort, the system is available in two different sizes, offers a maintenance-free and long-lasting recharge-free system, and uses Bluetooth wireless technology and Apple digital devices for its patient controller and physician programmers. In addition, the St. Jude Medical Infinity system is also upgradeable, which provides patients the potential to access new therapy advances as they’re approved without the need for repeat surgery.
 
“The Infinity DBS system and directional lead design was designed to meet the needs of physicians who confirmed that they needed a system that prioritized improved stimulation targeting, device longevity and improved patient ease of use,” said Dr. Allen Burton, medical director of neuromodulation and vice president of medical affairs at St. Jude Medical. “The Infinity DBS system is our answer for these previously unmet needs, demonstrating St. Jude Medical’s commitment to patient-centric solutions that help alleviate the debilitating effects of movement disorders.”