The Queensland Brain Institute under the University of Queensland has developed a remote care platform for monitoring and treating patients with neurological disorders.

WHAT IT DOES

Created in partnership with Neurosciences Queensland and Abbott Neuromodulation, the digital platform allows clinicians to remotely monitor patients and adjust their devices to treat and alleviate their symptoms in real-time. Patients are initially inserted with electrodes with electric stimulation delivered via a pacemaker which alters brain function to provide therapeutic relief.

In a study, which findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Scientific Reports, researchers have established the platform's safety, security, usability and effectiveness, as well as optimised its features using patient feedback.

During a limited-time market release, the platform maintained a high success rate after conducting around 858 remote care sessions.

The digital health platform for remote neuromodulation systems has received regulatory approval from the Australian government and was launched last year. It also obtained a CE marking in Europe and was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration.

WHY IT MATTERS

The pandemic has seen increasing demand for remote care platforms, especially for older people and those living in remote areas. QBI Professor Peter Silburn noted that more people have been "willing to adapt" to platforms that remotely connect them to healthcare teams. 

Through their recently developed remote care platform, patients with neurological disorders need not see their doctors in person to have their device adjusted.

Moving forward, Silburn's team sees a wider application of their digital health platform for many health conditions. "As we discover more about the biomarkers in brain-related disorders, we will refine neuromodulation systems to improve treatment for neuropsychiatric disorders like depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia, and Tourette’s syndrome, to name just a few," he said.

MARKET SNAPSHOT

Last year, Abbott introduced a new feature to its neuromodulation therapy platform NeuroSphere that allows patients to receive adjustments from their providers. The US FDA-approved NeuroSphere Virtual Clinic enables a secure connection between a patient and their doctor using the corresponding clinician programmer app. The feature is also available within the Abbott patient controller app on iOS devices. 

Rival neurostimulator maker NeuroPace went public in April last year. The company's RNS System places leads directly on the source of seizure within the brain. It collects EEG data via a wireless home remote monitor that is shared with a clinician through an online platform.