TECHNOLOGY
This is completely new and innovative technology, with a design that Steve Jobs would be proud of In the growth of the neurostimulation market globally, Helius Medical Technologies is playing an increasingly central role, with its PoNS device changing the lives of MS patients in North America and helping to demonstrate the impact of non-invasive technology in neurological disorders. NR Times speaks to Helius’ CEO Dane Andreeff about its pioneering work
Through stimulation of the tongue, people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are being supported to overcome symptoms and rediscover valuable aspects of their life. Groundbreaking technology developed by Helius Medical Technologies - the Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator (PoNS™) - is changing the reality for so many people with MS by helping them to vastly improve their balance and gait dysfunction. In people with mild to moderate MS, the PoNS has been
NRTIMES
proven in clinical studies and trials to be highly effective, with one vocal advocate of the technology being legendary US television Montel Williams, who lives with relapsing remitting MS and helped to co-found Helius in 2013, credits the PoNS with changing his life. Designed for use over a 14-week period for 20 minutes twice a day, initially under supervision in a specialist clinic but then can be used at home, the 143 gold-plated sensors on the tongue plate stimulate two major cranial nerves in the brain to help amplify its ability to heal itself. The translingual neurostimulation (TLNS) technique creates a flow of neural impulses which are delivered directly to the brain stem, which can then travel through the brain and activate or re-activate neurons and structures. The PoNS system, which is already commercially available in Canada, is now set to launch for MS patients in the US in Q1 of 2022 and is helping to lead fast-developing global efforts to devise and develop non-invasive and non-implantable neurostimulation techniques which can significantly benefit the lives and futures of patients. And while its operation currently is in addressing MS gait and balance issues, Helius is actively looking to widen its application into stroke and TBI, helping people with such
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