US-20260124451-A1 - SYSTEM FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT UTILIZING RESORBABLE ELECTRODES

Abstract

A pain management system includes: a resorbable electrode mounted on a substrate configured to be implanted on the nerve bundle of a patient, the resorbable electrode being configured to emit electrical pulses to the nerve bundle; and an electrical signal transmitter operatively and wirelessly connected with the resorbable electrode, the electrical signal transmitter configured to transmit signals to the electrode to generate electrical pulses, the electrical signal transmitter configured to be mounted on the patient's skin near the resorbable electrode.

Inventors

• Leandro Forciniti
• Georgios Yiorgos Bertos
• Anne Shim

Assignees

• BECTON, DICKINSON AND COMPANY

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20241101

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A pain management system, comprising: a resorbable electrode mounted on a substrate configured to be implanted on the nerve bundle of a patient, the resorbable electrode being configured to emit electrical pulses to the nerve bundle; and an electrical signal transmitter operatively and wirelessly connected with the resorbable electrode, the electrical signal transmitter configured to transmit signals to the electrode to generate electrical pulses, the electrical signal transmitter configured to be mounted on the patient's skin near the resorbable electrode.
2. 2 . The pain management system defined in claim 1 , wherein the electrical signal transmitter is configured to control at least one of pulse width, amplitude and frequency of electrical pulses emitted from the resorbable electrode.
3. 3 . The pain management system defined in claim 1 , further comprising a medical device configured to be mounted to the skin of the patient, and wherein the electrical signal transmitter is mounted in or on the medical component.
4. 4 . The pain management system defined in claim 3 , wherein the medical device is a component of a catheter securement assembly.
5. 5 . The pain management system defined in claim 4 , wherein the medical device is selected from the group consisting of: a securement device, a catheter, a catheter hub, and a wound dressing.
6. 6 . The pain management system defined in claim 1 , further comprising a user interface that is operatively connected with the electrical signal transmitter.
7. 7 . The pain management system defined in claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a cellular telephone that is wirelessly connected with the electrical signal transmitter.
8. 8 . The pain management system defined in claim 1 , wherein the resorbable electrode is mounted to a cuff, the cuff configured to encircle the nerve bundle.
9. 9 . The pain management system defined in claim 8 , wherein the electrode is configured to resorb in between about 30 and 180 days.
10. 10 . The pain management system defined in claim 1 , wherein the electrical signal transmitter is configured to be mounted within about 1 and 500 mm of the resorbable electrode.
11. 11 . The pain management system defined in claim 1 , wherein the electrical signal transmitter is configured to generate signals in the resorbable electrode via induction.
12. 12 . A method of managing pain for a patient in need of such treatment, comprising wirelessly transmitting electrical signals from an electrical signal transmitter mounted on the skin of the patient to a resorbable electrode applied to a nerve bundle of the patient, wherein the transmitting of electrical signals causes the resorbable electrode to emit electrical pulses to the nerve bundle.
13. 13 . The method defined in claim 12 , wherein the electrical signals control at least one of pulse width, amplitude and frequency of the electrical pulses emitted from the resorbable electrode.
14. 14 . The method defined in claim 12 , wherein the transmitter is mounted on a medical device that is mounted on the skin of the patient.
15. 15 . The method defined in claim 14 , wherein the medical device is a component of a catheter securement assembly.
16. 16 . The method defined in claim 15 , wherein the medical device is selected from the group consisting of: a securement device, a catheter, a catheter hub, and a wound dressing.
17. 17 . The method defined in claim 12 , wherein the transmitter is operatively connected with a user interface, and wherein manipulation of the user interface controls the character of the electrical pulses emitted from the resorbable electrode.
18. 18 . The method defined in claim 17 , wherein the user interface comprises a cellular telephone that is wirelessly connected with the electrical signal transmitter.
19. 19 . The method defined in claim 12 , wherein the resorbable electrode is mounted to a cuff that encircles the nerve bundle.
20. 20 . The method defined in claim 12 , wherein the electrical signal transmitter is mounted within about 1 and 500 mm of the resorbable electrode.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed generally to pain management, and more particularly to non-pharmaceutical pain management strategies and devices. BACKGROUND Opioids are very commonly used for pain management of patients, particularly after a traumatic event (e.g., a surgical procedure). However, opioids can be very addictive. In the US, studies have shown that 3 million surgical American patients continued to take opioid drugs for three to six months after their initial exposure to drugs following surgery, and 10 percent of such patients transitioned to long-term opioid use after surgery (which is likely to cause addiction). Because there is a significant effort to minimize hospital stays for recovering surgical patients to reduce medical costs, many surgical patients are sent home to recuperate, with family members or other caretakers left to supervise or assist with the recovery effort. This often includes the distribution of medications to the patient, which may be both medications to assist in recovery as well as pain management medications. Particularly common surgeries of this type include total knee replacement, total hip replacement, rotator cuff, colectomy, sleeve gastrectomy, hernia, and hysterectomy. As one example, a typical rotator cuff surgery may require the caretaker to manage a TENS unit that provides electrical stimulation, a cooling sleeve (e.g., a “Cryo-Cuff”) connected to an ice bath that requires periodic refilling, a pharmaceutical slow-release nerve block, and opioids as needed. To save the caretakers time and effort, some physicians will “overprescribe” pain medications (such as opioids) to ensure that the patient has a sufficient supply. However, overprescribing pain pills after surgery led to a surplus of 3.3 billion unused opioids in 2016, a glut of extra drugs that likely contributed to the United States'burgeoning opioid crisis. This oversupply has doubtless impacted tens of thousands of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide alternative pain relief protocols, and in particular non-pharmaceutical pain relief protocols. SUMMARY As a first aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a pain management system. The pain management system comprises: a resorbable electrode mounted on a substrate configured to be implanted on the nerve bundle of a patient, the resorbable electrode being configured to emit electrical pulses to the nerve bundle; and an electrical signal transmitter operatively and wirelessly connected with the resorbable electrode, the electrical signal transmitter configured to transmit signals to the electrode to generate electrical pulses, the electrical signal transmitter configured to be mounted on the patient's skin near the resorbable electrode. As a second aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of managing pain for a patient in need of such treatment. The method comprises wirelessly transmitting electrical signals from an electrical signal transmitter mounted on the skin of the patient to a resorbable electrode applied to a nerve bundle of the patient, wherein the transmitting of electrical signals causes the resorbable electrode to emit electrical pulses to the nerve bundle. As a third aspect, embodiments of the invention are directed to a pain management system comprising: a cuff comprising a resorbable electrode mounted on a resorbable substrate configured to be implanted on the nerve bundle of a patient, the resorbable electrode being configured to emit electrical pulses to the nerve bundle; a medical device configured to be mounted on the skin of a patient near the resorbable electrode; and an electrical signal transmitter operatively and wirelessly connected with the resorbable electrode, the electrical signal transmitter configured to transmit signals to the electrode to generate electrical pulses, the electrical signal transmitter mounted on the medical device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1A is a schematic perspective view of a pain management cuff according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 1B is a schematic perspective view of the pain management cuff of FIG. 1A that shows the flexible nature of the cuff. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the pain management cuff of FIG. 1A implanted on a nerve bundle. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a pain management system according to embodiments of the invention that utilizes a pain management cuff such as that of FIG. 2. FIGA. 4A-4D are schematic views of different electrodes that may be used with the pain management cuff of FIG. 1A. FIG. 5 is a catheter securement assembly that includes a signal transmitter as in FIG. 3 to excite a pain management cuff implanted on a nerve bundle as in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the components of the signal transmitter shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a pain management system according to further embodiments