NeuroPace, Inc. announced on June 1 the launch of its Next Gen RNS® System for the treatment of refractory epilepsy, which affects an estimated 1 million people in the United States alone. The RNS System is a type of brain-computer interface that treats seizures by continuously monitoring brain waves, recognizing each patient’s unique “seizure onset fingerprint,” and automatically responding with imperceptible electrical pulses before seizures occur.
Epilepsy is a chronic disorder originating in the brain, characterized by unpredictable seizures. Approximately 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. In the United States, more people live with epilepsy than autism spectrum disorder, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy combined. About one-third of individuals living with epilepsy are refractory to medications.
“NeuroPace revolutionized epilepsy therapy in 2013 with the introduction of the world’s first closed-loop, brain-responsive neuromodulation system—the only device that applies brain-computer interface technology to successfully treat refractory focal onset epilepsy,” said NeuroPace CEO Frank Fischer. “We have maintained our relentless focus on product innovation, and are excited to make the Next Gen RNS System—with twice the longevity and twice the memory in the same size device—available to our physician customers and their patients.”
The Next Gen RNS System is a major advance over the existing system. The battery life of the RNS Neurostimulator has more than doubled from 3.9 to 8.4 years at medium stimulation settings, which will allow patients to live their lives with fewer interruptions. The amount of available memory has also doubled, which will allow physicians to review a wider set of brain activity data.