The second-generation Sensus builds on the technology of its predecessor, which debuted in early 2013. More than 2,000 first- generation devices have shipped since its market introduction. The second-generation device is about 20 percent thinner and has several key hardware improvements. The thinner design makes the device more discreet when worn under clothing and more comfortable during sleep.
Sensus technology utilizes comfortable, non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation of sensory nerves to induce a safe and effective elevation in the level of naturally occurring neuromodulatory chemicals, called enkephalins, which block the transmission of pain signals throughout the nervous system. As a result, many patients experience fast-acting, non-narcotic relief from chronic pain when using Sensus, the company claims.
Sensus is a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator with broad regulatory indications for management of chronic pain and is the only such device cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration specifically for use during sleep. The device is lightweight and can be worn during the day while remaining active, and at night while sleeping. It incorporates a tri-axial MEMS accelerometer that monitors patient body position and movement enabling automatic regulation of therapeutic parameters.
The device is designed for diabetics who suffer from chronic pain. The most common cause of such pain is diabetic neuropathy (PDN), which affects up to 5 million people in the United States alone. Additional forms of chronic pain that may benefit from transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation include fibromyalgia, post herpetic neuropathy (shingles), and conditions with both chronic pain and disturbed sleep such as restless leg syndrome. The annual cost of diabetic neuropathies has been estimated at $14 billion in the United States.
“The launch of our second generation Sensus device demonstrates our scientific capabilities in wearable medical technology and commitment to continual innovation. Feedback from patients and physicians on the over 2,000 first generation devices in use has been positive and provided us with a road-map for further improvements, many of which are incorporated into the second-generation device,” said Shai N. Gozani, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of NeuroMetrix. “In addition to the use of Sensus in managing chronic pain, the novel integration of electrical stimulation and activity tracking through the embedded accelerometer offers exciting opportunities to develop wearable therapeutic devices for a variety of medical conditions.”
NeuroMetrix develops wearable medical technology and point-of-care diagnostics that help patients and physicians better manage chronic pain, nerve disorders, and associated sleep disturbances. The company has a major focus on diabetic neuropathies, which affect more than 50 percent of people with diabetes. If left untreated, diabetic neuropathies trigger foot ulcers that may require amputation and cause disabling chronic pain.The Waltham, Mass.-based company markets the Sensus Pain Management System and the DPNCheck device, a rapid, quantitative point-of-care test for peripheral neuropathies such as diabetic neuropathy. This product is used to detect neuropathies at an early stage and to guide treatment.