News Release

Pain control bandage now available for clinical use

Business Announcement

NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse

Physicians can now prescribe a non-invasive, non-drug device to relieve certain types of pain. The CT1 Pain Control Bandage, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), relieves pain by electrically stimulating nerves through the skin, a technology known as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

The CT1 is small, wireless, and attaches directly to the affected area to provide pain relief. It has minimal side effects and offers an effective alternative to narcotics and other commonly used drugs in the treatment of some types of pain.

The CT1 has a wide range of possible uses, including alleviating pain from arthritis, bursitis, and traumatic injuries; treating minor cuts where regular bandages are applied; and alleviating the pain of minor surgical procedures such as suturing and arthroscopic surgery.

The device was developed by Cyclotec Medical Industries, Inc., in Lauderhill, Florida with support from NIDA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. Under this program, small businesses compete for grants to develop promising ideas that meet specific research and development needs of Federal agencies such as NIDA. The device won R&D Magazine's 2002 100 Award as the one of the 100 best new science and medical technologies of the year. The R&D 100 Award is one of the most prestigious honors in applied research, having previously been given to technological breakthroughs such as the printer, the fax, and the automatic teller machine.

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The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and other topics are available in English and Spanish. These fact sheets and further information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov.


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