Medtronic 2008 Annual Report Download - page 16

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Kazunori Yoshida
Aichi-Ken, Japan
Deep brain stimulation to treat Parkinson’s disease
Kazunori Yoshida was playing tennis when his partner
mentioned that his movements looked strange. Gradually,
Kazunori’s movement became so limited that he could no
longer play tennis or travel with his family. Eventually, he was
diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He suffered for 15 years
until one day he saw a TV special on deep brain stimulation
and asked if he was a candidate. He was. The deep brain
stimulator allowed Kazunori to continue working as an
electrical engineer and travel again with his family. The
greatest pleasure, however, was that he could attend his son’s
and daughter’s weddings and greet all the guests, a customary
role for a father.
CHRONIC PAIN
Revolutionary Products Drive Growth
Medtronic remains the leader in the treatment of chronic pain, with the industry’s largest portfolio of
neurostimulation and implantable infusion therapies, and a 30-year history of innovation. We continued
that innovation in fiscal year 2008 by introducing RestoreULTRA, the industry’s smallest and thinnest
16-electrode neurostimulator. This is the only system with a programmer that lets patients customize their
own therapy by directing stimulation to the right place up and down the spinal cord, and adjusting the
level of intensity to maximize relief.
Medtronic also remains the only company to offer a programmable, implantable drug infusion system
for pain relief. Our SynchroMed II pump provides targeted delivery of pain medications to the intrathecal
space in the spine. This therapy allows patients greater pain relief with a much lower dose of medication
than would be required for an oral dose. It also eliminates the adverse effects of higher doses.
While we’re growing existing markets through product innovations, we’re also building scientific
evidence for existing therapies and exploring new markets. This past year, we shared data from PROCESS,
the largest randomized control trial, to demonstrate the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic
pain. We completed ONSTIM, a randomized trial using a neurostimulator to target the occipital nerves at
the base of the head as a potential treatment for chronic migraine sufferers. We also are investing in the
development of non-opioid therapy to be used with our implantable pumps to treat chronic pain.
At a Glance
What it is:
Chronic pain is continuous or intermittent pain
that persists for more than 6 months. Common
causes are injury, cancer, arthritis, spinal disc
degeneration and other diseases.
Symptoms:
Pain from disease or tissue damage typically
results in dull, throbbing aches. Pain from
nervous system damage is often burning,
tingling or shooting.
Medtronic treatments:
Implantable neurostimulation and intrathecal
drug delivery devices that block pain signals in
the nervous system before they reach the brain,
where pain is perceived.
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