I understand that in the last few months a new Medtronic implantable
intrathecal pump was released in Europe where the patient can actually
program the amount of pain medication themselves (within limits), like
when a patients has surgery in the hospital and they give the them one
of those little boxes to push the button when they are in pain.  This
is a really new thing in connection to a pump that is implanted with
the drug going right into the spine.  I would like to know how to get
one of the new Medtronic implantable ones with the patient activated
button for cancer pain for my Dad.  It is not the older type called a
Synchromed 1 - but a newer thing where the patient is in control.

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Request for Question Clarification by tehuti-ga on 30 Oct 2002 03:32 PST

Hello crystal4290-ga

The newest device I have found started being trialled last September
at 20 centers in the US.  This is a hand-held device which the patient
uses together with a Synchromed implant.  I have the name of one
center which participated in this trial.

However, the same company produces another device with a patient
activated control pad to control delivery of the drug from the
reservoir to the spinal cord. This is currently available commercially
in Europe, and has been for some years.  I have the name of the UK
distributor, and also the name of a hospital in the US which is
looking at the use of this device to manage cancer pain (although the
statement I found is a bit confusing as to whether this is an actual
study in patients).  I am not sure whether the UK distributor would be
able to send the device to the US.  However, one option might be to
have the device implanted privately in the UK, provided you had a
physician back home ready to take responsibility for its continued use
(refills, possible complications etc).

Please let me know if this is the information you require.

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Clarification of Question by crystal4290-ga on 30 Oct 2002 06:41 PST

Yes - I beleive this would be helpful and would be willing to pay for
this information.

Hello crystal4290-ga,

This is the information I managed to find.

The most recent trial I was able to identify was of the Medtronic
SynchroMed® Personal Therapy Manager.  This is ahand-held device,
which is about the size of a TV remote control, and which can be
carried by the patient for use as needed to initiate the delivery of
supplemental doses of medication within preset limits determined by
the physician. However, this new device is designed to work with the
standard SynchroMed Infusion System as far as I can make out..
Medtronic’s news bulletin about it is at
http://www.medtronic.com/newsroom/news_20010905a.html
This device went into clinical trial in 200 patients at 20
participating US centers in September 2001, and was due to finish this
fall.
One of the participating centers is Tennessee Valley Pain Consultants
Huntsville Hospital, 911 Big Cove Road, Huntsville, AL 35801  Tel:
(256) 517-PAIN (7246)  http://www.hsvpain.org/index.html
However, I also found that Medtronic produces the AlgoMed(TM) Infusion
System, a patient activated drug delivery system for cancer patients.
The information about this initially came from a 1999 report
fromDoctor’s Guide to the Internet
http://www.docguide.com/dg.nsf/PrintPrint/CC3705BD98285155852564C1006BBF6A)

A further search on AlgoMed gave the following information from the
web site of the UK distributor.  Although there is a picture, it was
difficult to compare this with the pictures on the Medtronic site to
assess whether the shape is or is not the same as the Synchromed.
Medtronic’s  AlgoMed Infusion System has three components: (1) a
reservoir designed to contain 50 doses of 1ml of morphine; (2) a
catheter to deliver the drug from the reservoir to the spinal cord;
(3) a patient activated control pad. The infusion system can easily be
activated either by patients or by their caregivers to control cancer
pain.
UK distributor is RDG Medical http://www.rdgmedical.com/Algomed.htm
Telephone: 020 8660 4374    (International: +44 20 8660 4374)
Fax:               020 8660 9417    (International: +44 20 8660 9417)
E-Mail:           admin@rdgmedical.com
Mail:               RDG Medical, 429 Brighton Road,  Croydon,  
SURREY,   CR2 6EU,                        United Kingdom
RDG does in turn have some international distributors, as listed on
the page “International”
http://www.rdgmedical.com/International.htm

As I mentioned in the CR, if this is of any potential use, you would
have to arrange the matter with physicians in the UK and back home. 
It is possible to arrange private medical treatment in most UK NHS
hospitals, and there are also some private hospitals. The best way
would be for a physician in the US to identify a UK specialist and
take it from there.

On the web page of Bennet E. Davis, M.D., Associate Professor,
Clinical Anesthesiology,
Director, Pain Management Service, Department of Anesthesiology at the
University of Arizona College of Medicine, I found the following
statement: “Current research projects at the University of Arizona
include a study of the Algomed Infusion Study for Intrathecal Delivery
of Morphine Sulfate as Management of Cancer Pain” The web page has
contact details for Bennet E Davis
http://www.medicine.arizona.edu/msrp/sponsors/davis.htm  You may
perhaps be able to obtain some useful advice from Dr Davis.

I do very much hope this information will be useful to you and even
more so to your father.