Novel device developed by Hong Kong researchers could help patients with spinal injuries avoid invasive surgeries
- The new neurostimulator, developed by researchers at Polytechnic University, is small enough to be injected into a patient’s spine via a needle
- It is also powered by ultrasonic waves instead of conventional batteries, obviating the need for future surgeries to replace them
Hong Kong patients suffering from spinal cord injuries could soon be able to avoid invasive operations with a novel, non-surgically implanted neurostimulator developed by a local university and expected to come on the market in a few years’ time, according to researchers.
While using electrical stimulation to help patients with spinal cord injuries was not a new idea, Zheng Yong-ping, the chair professor of biomedical engineering at Polytechnic University, said the novel device was powered by ultrasonic waves transmitted externally in place of a conventional battery.
When the neurostimulator – which has not yet undergone clinical trials – is injected into a patient’s spine via a needle, it sends electric currents that stimulate nerve endings, potentially helping patients get rid of chronic pain and even heal paralysis.
“Current iterations of neurotransmitters on the market are battery-powered, which comes with obvious downsides, such as having to get an invasive surgery every time the battery dies,” Zheng said. “Our device requires a one-time-only procedure because it can convert ultrasound energy into electrical currents, thereby removing the need for battery changes.”
It was estimated the device itself would cost around US$2,000, which Zheng contended was a tenth the price of other similar devices on the market right now.
Zheng noted that because the neurostimulator did not require a battery, it was possible to create a device that weighed less than a gram. “Because this device is so small, it eliminates the need for large surgical incisions,” he said.
Although the current prototype was targeted towards patients with spinal cord injuries, Dr Monzurul Alam, who also worked on the device, said it could be tweaked in the future to help patients with neurodegenerative disorders such as Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) and Parkinson’s disease regain control of their limbs.
“There are at least 1,000 patients in Hong Kong currently experiencing paralysis or pain due to spine injuries,” Alam said. “Nowadays we have better technology and health care to keep these patients alive for longer, but their quality of life is still not being improved.”
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According to information from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the University of Hong Kong, hundreds of spinal cord injuries occur annually in the city. The department refers to such patients as “orphaned”, due to their relatively small numbers and the negligible amount of care the public health system seems to afford them.
Dr Daniel Ng, a spinal cord injury specialist, said the average patient was usually young and male, and often involved in a traffic accident.
“Many of these patients are robbed of their productivity in the prime of their youth, and the costs of treatment and care for these patients are high,” he said, adding that the public health system could do better in helping long-term patients with chronic pain or in need of caretaking.
Ng also cautioned that while the new neurostimulator seemed promising, it still has not gone through clinical trials. “Treatments for spinal cord injuries to actually help patients get back on their feet are few and far between, and electrostimulus is quite a complex treatment that isn’t always effective.”
