Dive Brief:
- Medtronic has received a CE mark for a rechargeable version of its Percept deep brain stimulation (DBS) device.
- The product pairs the technology for capturing brain signals and delivering stimulation that are found in Medtronic’s existing Percept implant with a rechargeable battery that reduces the need to periodically replace the device.
- Medtronic, which has filed for authorization in the U.S., plans to make the device available in Western Europe this month and “launch in additional regions based on local regulations.”
Dive Insight:
Percept is an important part of Medtronic’s neuroscience business. The company identified new implants of Percept PC, the model with a battery that needs replacing when it runs out, as a driver of mid-single digit growth at its neuromodulation unit in the first quarter of its fiscal year 2024. Medtronic also listed the continued acceptance and growth of Percept devices as a factor that will shape its neuroscience results.
The company designed the battery in Percept PC to last more than five years. Once the battery runs down, the patient undergoes surgery to replace the device. The leads connecting the device typically stay in place but the DBS device needs replacing.
Percept RC, the name of the rechargeable device, has greater than 99% battery capacity after 15 years of weekly charging, according to Medtronic. The company has designed the device to charge from 10% to 90% full in less than one hour. Medtronic already offers a rechargeable version of its older Activa DBS device but Percept RC is the first rechargeable product that features its BrainSense sensing technology.
Medtronic is providing the device to patients with Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and primary dystonia. The rechargeable product is already available in Japan and awaiting authorization in the U.S.
Percept PC is one of two products that Medtronic is working to add to its neuroscience portfolio. Earlier this year, the company received a CE mark for Inceptiv, a spinal cord stimulator that tracks the patient’s response to neural stimulation and adjusts its output accordingly. Last month, Medtronic told investors it is awaiting approval of the device in the U.S.