Expert review of medical devices
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Expert Rev Med Devices · Jun 2017
ReviewEvaluation of Abbott's BurstDR stimulation device for the treatment of chronic pain.
Burst stimulation, as described by DeRidder, is a novel waveform made up of closely spaced, high-frequency electrical impulses delivered in packets, which are followed by a quiescent period or interburst interval. Electrically generated burst waveforms were initially designed to treat neural pathology in the auditory cortex and were later applied to the spinal cord through spinal cord stimulation (SCS) devices to treat chronic pain states. ⋯ Expert commentary: Burst stimulation offers a salvage strategy for failed tonic spinal cord stimulation (tSCS), thus improving both quality of life and cost-effectiveness of SCS by reducing explant rates. The goal of this therapy is to use more than one waveform in the same device so that lost efficacy from tSCS can be salvaged.