FDA Approves Personalized Chronic Pain Therapy Mobile Application

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an iOS-compatible application enabling individuals with chronic pain and movement disorders to receive personalized therapy through their mobile device.

The approval allows Abbott to move forward with the Patient Controller app on a compatible personal Apple‡ smartphone devices and eliminate the need to carry a separate patient programmer device to streamline the therapeutic experience and seamlessly integrate therapy management.

Abbott plans to integrate the new technology into their broader NeuroSphere Digital Care connected care management platform that was launched in May.

The Patient Controller is compatible with Abbott’s suite of neuromodulation technologies, including Infinity DBS System for patients with Parkinson disease or essential tremor, Proclaim XR SCS System for patients living with chronic pain, and Proclaim DRG Neurostimulation System for patients with chronic pain in the lower limbs caused by complex regional pain syndrome or causalgia.

“For physicians who are prescribing and implanting neuromodulation technologies, the ability to integrate therapies into one's everyday life is key,” Alexander Escobar, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at The University of Toledo, said in a statement. “The COVID-19 global health crisis has demanded access to virtual treatment options, especially for those individuals with chronic medical conditions that may have difficulty coming to see their physician or would prefer not to leave their own home.”