St. Jude Medical announced that Brio, its deep brain stimulation device, has received the CE mark, allowing it to be sold in Europe, according to a statement issued by the company.

The St. Paul, Minn.-based firm claims that the watch-sized Brio, with its slim 10 mm profile, is the smallest DBS implant in the world. It also boasts the longest lifespan, with a rechargeable battery expected to last 10 years.

"The small size, thin profile and longevity of the Brio deep brain stimulator allows physicians to place the device more discreetly," Rohan Hoare, vice president of research and development of St. Jude's neuromodulation division, told DOTmed News, "potentially making the device less noticeable and more comfortable for the patient and may increase the time between battery replacements."

Larger devices inserted under the clavicle -- where DBS implants go -- are more cumbersome, and could even make healing from surgery take longer, according to the company.




Clinical studies have shown that deep brain stimulation improves motor and muscle control in those suffering from Parkinson's disease. DBS is believed to reduce stiffness, feet stuttering, and other debilitating motor problems that make mobility often impossible for Parkinson's disease patients.

DBS devices work by sending mild electrical pulses to stimulate two regions of the brain, the subthalamic nucleus and the globus pallidus interna. While doctors don't know exactly why this helps improve symptoms, they speculate that it has some effect on dopamine -- a neurotransmitter found in unusually low levels in Parkinson's disease patients. St. Jude believes around 40,000 patients worldwide have undergone DBS therapy.

A 67-year-old man in Germany was the first person to receive the Brio device. Currently, Brio is not available in the United States. Clinical trials involving an earlier model of the device, the Libra, have just been completed in the U.S., but St. Jude expects Libra to undergo more tests before it gets FDA approval.

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