The medically correct name for a chronic form of a head ache is known as the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a facial nerve bundle, but there its till not a long term treatment known to work on the SPG. The technology that I mentioned before, the electronic aspirin is currently under clinical under clinical investigation. Autonomic Technologies, Inc. is based out of Redwood City, CA and is currently a patent-powered tool. This tool is designed specially to do what normal aspirin cannot. It is designed to block the SGA signals at the first sight of a head ache. This is much more difficult than it may seem because it involves a permanent implantation of a small nerve stimulating device in the upper gum on the side of the head that catches the SGA signals first. The tip of the implant is made out of led and connects with the SPG bundle. Moreover, when an individual with the implant starts to feel an oncoming headache or migrane they can simply place a remote controller on the cheek that covers the implant. This action is what blocks the pain-causing neurotransmitters by stimulating the SPG nerves.
This new technology can give individuals who have suffered from sever headaches or migrants their entire lives a way to not have to shut down for the rest of the day due to pain. Electronic Aspirin is an invention that will not only change the medical field, but the lives of individuals alone.
MacRae, Michael. "Top 5 Medical Technology Innovations." Top 5 Medical Technology Innovations. ASME, Mar. 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/bioengineering/top-5-medical-technology-innovations
I think this advancement for a common problem that the population faces will be very beneficial to the health community. I think it is a very inventive new way to attack an ancient problem and am interested of the results of this product thus far. In terms of usability, as someone who has experience with consistent migraines, I am slightly confused at how this model is a solution to migraines. Because this system is for after your already have symptoms of an oncoming migraine, how does it combat it? Usually when the symptoms occur, it is usually too late to be proactive, so does this technology serve more as a relief system after the migraine is in effect and reduces the current pain? Or is it a preventative system and stops future migraines. I would be interested to see more studies on the effectiveness of this technology because I believe that this would help many people across the world if it is effective and accurately targets the right time and location of the migraine pain.
ReplyDeleteThe question I have for this technology is who would be able to use this technology and for how much? As we all know, everyone gets headaches. Some of us get them once in a blue moon and others get headaches everyday and struggle with this annoyance. So I wonder who would be this products' target market? Would they encourage everyone to get this product so that they never have to experience a headache again or would the company try and target a more concentrated market. Would they only encourage people who consistently get headaches to buy this device instead? I think this device could definitely impact everyone but I am interested to see who the company will try to concentrate on selling this device to.
ReplyDeleteMy second concern deals with the cost of this device. To have some thing implanted into the body can most definitely not be cheap. So my worry is that even after the device fixes all its bugs/faults and has some success with trials I worry that this device will not be afforadable. If the product costs too much then were will be tons and tons of people in the world that suffer from head aches every day and will have to continue suffering even though there is a solution out there for them.