SBIR Phase II: Drug Free Noninvasive Occipital Nerve Block Device to Reduce Opiate Prescriptions

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种简单的可穿戴设备来管理疼痛。尽管新疗法取得了进展，但成瘾性麻醉药物仍然是许多情况下广泛使用的控制疼痛的方法。提出的技术代表了一种新的非侵入性方法来阻断神经传导，而不依赖于药物。该装置可以很容易地适应于治疗任何疼痛沿着靠近皮肤表面的神经传播的情况。这项工作将证明一种新的治疗方法的可行性疼痛管理没有药物依赖或成瘾的风险。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目将全面开发一种人体可穿戴热神经阻滞装置，通过阻断枕区神经来治疗严重的头颈部疼痛。枕部疼痛是由许多生理和病理原因引起的，许多患者无法找到足够的疼痛缓解方案，使他们能够继续日常活动，从而导致生活质量差，生产力和社交能力下降。在这个项目中开发的设备将以这样一种方式热调节枕部区域，以启动并维持无药物神经阻滞。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is the development of a simple wearable device to manage pain. Despite advances in new therapies, addictive narcotic medications still remain a widely utilized method to control pain for many conditions. The proposed technology represents a new noninvasive approach to blocking nerve conduction without reliance on drugs. The device can be easily adapted to treat any condition wherein pain is transmitted along nerves close to the skin surface. This work will demonstrate feasibility of a novel therapeutic approach to pain management without risk of drug dependence or addiction.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will fully develop a human wearable thermal nerve block device for treating severe head and neck pain by blocking nerves in the occipital region. Occipital pain is driven by a number of physiological and pathological causes, and many patients fail to find adequate pain relief solutions that allow them to continue their daily activities, thus leading to poor quality of life with reduced productivity and socialization. The device developed in this project will thermally modulate the occipital region in such a way as to initiate and then maintain a drug-free nerve block.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.