The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the Boston Scientific Corporation's Infinion 16 Percutaneous Lead for its Precision Plus Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) System, the first rechargeable SCS device for chronic pain management.  

A Boston Scientific press release says, the Infinion 16 Lead is the world's first and only 16-contact percutaneous lead and the latest innovation in the company's comprehensive percutaneous lead portfolio.  The company has  introduced the Infinion 16 Lead at the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) meeting.

SCS leads are designed to deliver electrical pulses from an implantable pulse generator to the spinal cord to mask pain signals to the brain.  Until now, percutaneous leads have offered a maximum of eight stimulating contacts.  By providing twice the number of contacts than any previous percutaneous lead, the Infinion 16 Lead is designed to offer more coverage of the spinal cord for the management of chronic pain.

"When a single percutaneous lead is the best choice for my patient, the Infinion 16 Lead is a useful new option that lets me cover more of the spinal cord than ever before," said Marshall Bedder, M.D., director of Interventional Pain at Pacific Medical Centers in Seattle.  "For the first time, I can now place 16 contacts through a single, small insertion needle with just one lead placement."

"The Infinion 16 Lead is the latest advance in lead technology and an exciting new addition to our unrivaled percutaneous lead portfolio," stated Maulik Nanavaty, senior vice president and president of Boston Scientific's Neuromodulation Division.  "With the launch of the Infinion 16 Lead, Boston Scientific continues its commitment to innovation by offering pain management physicians more choices to help optimize pain relief for their patients."

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation is an innovation leader in implantable pain management technology.  The Precision Plus Spinal Cord Stimulator System, powered by SmoothWave Technology, uses pulses of electricity delivered directly along nerve fibers through the spinal cord to mask pain signals to the brain.