AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The FDA-approved Vivistim® Paired VNS™ System earns a coveted spot on TIME’s list of the best inventions of 2023, recognizing innovations that change lives. Appearing in TIME’s medical category, Vivistim helps stroke survivors live fuller lives by pairing vagus nerve stimulation with occupational or physical therapy to help ischemic stroke survivors improve their hand and arm function.
Vivistim is an implanted medical device for chronic stroke survivors. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, Vivistim is placed under the skin in the upper left chest area during an outpatient procedure. Procedures of this type -involving similar-sized medical devices for varying therapeutic indications –have been safely performed for over 25 years. Once cleared by the surgeon following the implant procedure, the stroke survivor will commence therapy with a Vivistim-trained therapist.
“We are ecstatic that Vivistim is named to TIME’s 2023 Best Inventions list and that more stroke survivors, caregivers and healthcare professionals will learn how Paired VNS Therapy enhances stroke recovery,” said Richard Foust, CEO of MicroTransponder®, Inc., the manufacturer of Vivistim. “When stroke survivors discover Vivistim, it’s often the first time they’re reigniting hope they’ll be able to use their hands and arms again to complete activities of daily living and do things they enjoy.”
Vivistim is one of 200 innovations that made TIME’s annual list, compiled based on their editors’ evaluation of originality, efficacy, ambition and impact. Adding to the increased awareness of this stroke therapy innovation, AARP recently highlighted Vivistim Paired VNS Therapy in its Medical Breakthroughs in Brain Health series.
Premier comprehensive stroke centers and clinics across the country are adopting Vivistim as an effective stroke therapy intervention because it helps stroke survivors regain at least 2-3 times more upper limb function than traditional rehabilitation therapy alone in six weeks.
Vivistim’s innovation continues beyond the in-clinic Paired VNS Therapy with an added mechanism of action that enables stroke survivors to activate 30 minutes of vagus nerve stimulation by swiping the Vivistim Magnet across the implanted device. Vivistim Users typically swipe the magnet at home while completing household tasks or hygiene routines or in any environment where they’re engaged with a hobby, such as golfing, gardening, fishing and DIY construction projects.
In a compelling demonstration of the combined innovativeness and effectiveness of Vivistim Paired VNS Therapy, Emily Johnson, 30, celebrates a Vivistim Victory following upper limb impairment due to an ischemic stroke in May 2022. Emily, who is right-hand dominant, had limited function of her left hand, so she began Vivistim Therapy in May 2023 during her occupational therapy at Brooks Rehabilitation in Kissimmee, Florida. While she performed task-specific techniques, such as assembling interlocking blocks to mimic clasping jewelry, her occupational therapist signaled the implanted Vivistim device to stimulate the vagus nerve.
This pairing of vagus nerve stimulation with high-repetition, task-specific therapy boosts neuroplasticity to help the brain form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experiencing following injury.
“My ultimate goal was to be able to use both of my hands in my everyday tasks, and now I can cut my own steak, style my hair, clasp jewelry and tie my first-grade students’ shoestrings,” said Emily, who is sharing her Vivistim Victory in a webinar on Wednesday, October 25. “Vivistim Therapy was incredible. I’m so excited to see all my hard work throughout occupational therapy payoff because of the Paired VNS.”
Additional positive outcomes have been reported from Vivistim Users who are 6 months to 10 or more years post-stroke, influencing therapists, physiatrists, neurosurgeons and neurologists to confidently recommend Vivistim Paired VNS Therapy to stroke survivors with chronic upper extremity limitations.
Discover how Vivistim offers hope to stroke survivors at Vivistim.com and review safety information at Vivistim.com/safety.
About MicroTransponder®, Inc.
MicroTransponder®, Inc. is a privately held, global medical device company based in Austin, Texas, committed to developing research-based neuroscience solutions. The company focuses on restoring dignity for people suffering from neurological conditions that impair sensory and motor function. MicroTransponder’s FDA-approved Vivistim® Paired VNS™ System is a first-of-its-kind, clinically proven medical technology that generates two to three times more improvement in upper limb function than conventional rehabilitation for stroke survivors after six weeks of in-clinic therapy. For more information, visit Vivistim.com.
Media Contact:
Kristin Strauder
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SOURCE MicroTransponder Inc.
