Vibration and neurostimulation ease the fear of needle pain

Rather than trying to replace needles in medicine with painless microneedles or light sensing technology, Innova Medical Design is adding onto them with a combination of neurostimulation and vibration, with the goal of blocking pain signals at the sight of an injection, blood draw or IV, MedCity News reports.

Innova has developed a technique that combines vibration with a few kinds of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to “occupy” nerve endings and reduce or block pain. Its first two products apply the technique to pediatrics and diabetes.

At the top of the company’s pipeline is an adhesive patch that’s placed on a child’s arm when he’s about to get a shot or have an IV inserted. Embedded in the patch are two dual-layer electrodes. When a reusable stimulation device is placed on top of the electrodes, it transmits the TENS and vibration signals that create a comfortable sensation on the arm during needle insertion.

Minneapolis-based Innova formed in early 2009 out of a relationship between Tim O’Malley, a medical device executive with a background in diabetes and neurology products, and Dr. Mel Vallero, an emergency medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente.

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