Neuromodulation Spinal Cord Stimulator Patents 2026
Spinal Cord Stimulator Technology Landscape 2026
Spinal cord stimulation is at a technology inflection point driven by closed-loop ECAP feedback, novel waveform modalities, and non-invasive transcutaneous platforms. Patent filings from 2022–2025 reveal accelerating activity in motor rehabilitation and autonomous stimulation control.
Four Modality Families Shaping SCS Innovation
Spinal cord stimulation delivers charge-balanced electrical pulses to the dorsal epidural space via percutaneous or paddle leads connected to an implantable pulse generator. The gate control theory underpins conventional tonic stimulation, while mechanisms for newer sub-perception waveforms such as HF10 and burst remain incompletely characterized in the clinical literature.
The technology field spans four principal modality families: conventional low-frequency tonic stimulation at 30–120 Hz producing paresthesia; paresthesia-free high-frequency stimulation at 1–10 kHz, specifically Nevro’s HF10 platform operating at 10,000 Hz with 1–5 mA amplitude and 30 µs pulse width; burst stimulation delivering five-pulse packets at 500 Hz with 40 Hz interburst frequency; and closed-loop systems using evoked compound action potential sensing.
Patent literature confirms hardware innovation spanning lead design, IPG miniaturization, wireless power transfer, sensor-equipped leads for electrode-to-cord distance measurement, and remote programming platforms. EPFL’s epidural electrical stimulation family for SCI rehabilitation and Saluda Medical’s closed-loop ECAP evaluation systems represent the most technically differentiated recent patent clusters in this dataset.
A significant non-invasive sub-domain has emerged around transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation and trans-spinal direct current stimulation, with separate trajectories in neurorehabilitation and emerging mental health applications. The 2023 pilot RCT of tsDCS for major depressive disorder produced statistically significant MADRS reduction versus sham, expanding the indicational scope of non-invasive SCS infrastructure.
Filing Activity by Technology Cluster and Jurisdiction
Among 12 patent records retrieved with jurisdiction data, the distribution is US (5), AU (4), WO (4), EP (1), and CA (1). Australian entities are disproportionately represented in closed-loop and hardware innovation relative to market size, reflecting a concentrated AU neuromodulation IP cluster.
SCS Patent Records by Jurisdiction
US and Australian jurisdictions account for the majority of SCS-specific patent filings in this dataset, with Australian entities leading in closed-loop ECAP and hardware innovation.
↗ Click bars to exploreSCS Technology Cluster Patent Activity by Era
Closed-loop and rehabilitation-focused filings dominate the 2022–2025 period, while waveform innovation was the primary driver in the 2016–2021 expansion era.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey SCS Application Domains Across Clinical and Research Settings
SCS technology is deployed across five principal application domains in this dataset, ranging from chronic neuropathic pain — the most evidenced domain — to emerging indications including spinal cord injury rehabilitation, movement disorders, oncology pain, and mental health.
Chronic Neuropathic Pain
The dominant application domain across the dataset, encompassing FBSS, CRPS, sciatica, and persistent spinal pain syndrome. The SENZA-RCT reported 73% back pain responder rates at 12 months for HF10 SCS, and a European multicenter real-world study (188 patients, 16 sites) confirmed mean pain score reduction of 4.4 points from a baseline of 7.9 using combination therapy SCS. Multiple RCTs including MULTIWAVE, PARS-trial, TRIAL-STIM, and BOOST-DRG further validate this domain.
Epidural SCSSpinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
Epidural electrical stimulation (EES) and transcutaneous SCS are used to re-enable voluntary movement, improve sensorimotor function, and drive neuroplasticity in SCI patients. EPFL’s patent portfolio (2020–2025) anchors the invasive EES side, with systems combining ECoG signal sensing from the sensorimotor cortex to decode motor intent. Spinex’s wearable non-invasive device (WO/CA 2023) targets neuroplasticity induction for patients retaining some voluntary capacity, with claims around maintaining voluntary motor control after stimulation cessation.
Motor RehabilitationMovement Disorders and Neurological Conditions
SCS for Parkinson’s disease is explored as adjunct or salvage therapy following DBS, with EPFL’s 2025 US patent explicitly targeting locomotor deficits in PD, SCI, and stroke within a combined DBS+EES framework. Closed Loop Medical’s 2024 WO and 2025 AU patents focus specifically on closed-loop SCS programming for spasticity relief, representing a distinct closed-loop indication beyond pain management. Preclinical and early clinical data for PD applications are reviewed in the 2020 dataset literature.
Neurological NeuromodulationMental Health and Autonomic Indications
A 2023 pilot RCT demonstrated statistically significant MADRS score reduction versus sham using trans-spinal direct current stimulation in unmedicated adults with major depressive disorder, marking the first psychiatric clinical evidence in this dataset. The 2025 WO patent by Mohabbati targets autonomic nervous system neuromodulation for PTSD, cardiac failure, gastrointestinal dysmotility, and peripheral vascular disease, representing an expansion of SCS-derived technologies beyond spinal pain to systemic autonomic network modulation.
Emerging IndicationsLeading Patent Assignees in Spinal Cord Stimulation 2026
Among patent filings retrieved, EPFL is the most prolific academic assignee with five records spanning WO, US, and EP jurisdictions, while Saluda Medical and Closed Loop Medical lead the Australian closed-loop IP cluster. The dataset reflects a concentrated AU neuromodulation IP hub alongside Swiss and US academic innovation.
Top SCS Patent Assignees by Filing Count
↗ Click bars to exploreEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
EPFL is the most prolific academic patent assignee in this dataset with five filings spanning WO (2024), US (2022 inactive, 2025 pending), and EP (2020 pending) jurisdictions, in collaboration with the University of Fribourg. All filings target epidural electrical stimulation for motor rehabilitation, covering cervical and lumbosacral stimulation, ECoG-guided closed-loop control, and a 2025 US patent combining DBS and EES for locomotor deficits in Parkinson’s disease, SCI, and stroke. EPFL’s portfolio addresses the broadest indicational scope among academic filers in this dataset.
SwitzerlandSaluda Medical Pty Ltd
Saluda Medical holds AU (2024 pending) and US (2025 pending) filings covering ECAP-based rapid evaluation methods for SCS therapy, enabling individualized patient fitting through real-time neural response measurement. Saluda’s closed-loop ECAP technology is the basis for its commercial Evoke® system, described in this dataset as the only commercially deployed closed-loop SCS platform globally. The AU-US patent pairing reflects a trans-Pacific filing strategy targeting both the Australian and US neuromodulation markets.
AustraliaFive Directional Signals Shaping SCS Innovation Through 2026
The most recent filings and publications (2022–2025) in this dataset identify five forward-looking signals: closed-loop ECAP autonomous stimulation, cortical-spinal motor restoration systems, non-invasive platforms targeting neuroplasticity and mental health, remote programming as standard care infrastructure, and autonomic multi-system neuromodulation.
Closed-Loop ECAP-Guided Autonomous Stimulation
Saluda Medical’s 2025 US patent and Closed Loop Medical’s 2024–2025 filings confirm accelerating commercialization of real-time feedback architectures. The field is moving from fixed-parameter open-loop delivery to automated dose-adjustment systems that respond to measured neural responses. This approach reduces positional therapy variability caused by postural-driven changes in electrode-to-cord distance, and enables spasticity as a new closed-loop SCS indication beyond pain.
Cortical-Spinal Closed-Loop Systems for Motor Restoration
EPFL’s 2024–2025 patents describe ECoG and EES integration — a brain-spinal cord interface architecture that decodes cortical motor intent and triggers epidural stimulation in real time. A 2025 EPFL US patent extends this framework to combined DBS and EES targeting locomotor deficits in Parkinson’s disease, SCI, and stroke. This convergence of BCI and SCS technology streams represents the highest-complexity, highest-value patent territory in the near-term pipeline according to the dataset.
Closed-Loop SCS vs. Conventional Open-Loop SCS: Key Dimensions
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Closed-Loop SCS (ECAP-Guided) | Conventional Open-Loop SCS |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback Mechanism | Evoked compound action potential (ECAP) sensing after each stimulus pulse enables real-time parameter adjustment | No neural response feedback; fixed parameters set by clinician programming |
| Positional Variability | Automatically compensates for postural-driven changes in electrode-to-cord distance | Variable stimulation dose due to postural changes affecting electrode-to-cord distance |
| Key Representative System | Saluda Medical Evoke® system — described in dataset as the only commercially deployed closed-loop SCS platform globally | Nevro Senza® HF10 (10,000 Hz, 1–5 mA, 30 µs pulse width); conventional tonic 40–120 Hz systems |
| Patent Activity (this dataset) | Saluda Medical AU (2024 pending), US (2025 pending); Closed Loop Medical WO (2024), AU (2025 pending) | Medtronic US (2014 active); foundational broad patent estate not fully captured in this retrieval |
| Spasticity Indication | Closed Loop Medical 2024–2025 filings specifically target spasticity relief as a new closed-loop indication | Not a documented indication in open-loop SCS literature within this dataset |
| Waveform Flexibility | Adjusts amplitude and parameters in real time based on ECAP measurement; enables sub-perception and contemporary paradigm combinations | Operator-set fixed parameters; diversity through tonic, burst, HF10, DTM, and FAST waveform options |
| Clinical Evidence Basis | 2021 literature frames ECAP-guided CL-SCS as combining sub-perception and contemporary therapy paradigms with strong rationale | SENZA-RCT (73% responder rate at 12 months); European multicenter study (n=188, 4.4-point pain reduction); MULTIWAVE, PARS-trial, TRIAL-STIM, BOOST-DRG RCTs |
Frequently Asked Questions: Spinal Cord Stimulation Technology 2026
Open-loop SCS delivers fixed electrical parameters set by a clinician, with no feedback from the patient’s neural response. Closed-loop SCS uses evoked compound action potential (ECAP) sensing — measuring neural responses at the spinal cord after each stimulus pulse — to automatically adjust stimulation parameters in real time. This addresses the fundamental limitation that postural changes alter electrode-to-cord distance and therefore stimulation dose. Saluda Medical’s Evoke® system is described in this dataset as the only commercially deployed closed-loop SCS platform globally.
Conventional tonic SCS operates at 40–120 Hz and produces paresthesia by activating large dorsal column fibers. HF10, developed through Nevro’s Senza® system, operates at 10,000 Hz with low amplitude (1–5 mA) and short pulse width (30 µs). It is paresthesia-free and is proposed to selectively activate inhibitory interneurons in the dorsal horn rather than large dorsal column fibers. The SENZA-RCT reported 73% back pain responder rates at 12 months for HF10 SCS.
EPFL is the most prolific academic patent assignee in this dataset with five filings spanning WO (2024), US (2022 inactive, 2025 pending), and EP (2020 pending) jurisdictions, in collaboration with the University of Fribourg. All filings target epidural electrical stimulation for motor rehabilitation, covering cervical and lumbosacral stimulation, ECoG-guided closed-loop control, and a combined DBS and EES architecture for locomotor deficits in Parkinson’s disease, SCI, and stroke. This represents the broadest indicational scope among academic filers in the dataset.
A 2023 pilot randomized controlled trial showed statistically significant MADRS score reduction versus sham using trans-spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) in unmedicated adults with major depressive disorder. A 2022 literature review documents transcutaneous SCS modulating excitability across multiple spinal cord segments from a single site. Spinex Inc.’s 2023 WO and CA patents claim induction of neuroplasticity to maintain voluntary motor control after stimulation cessation, targeting SCI rehabilitation in a non-invasive format.
Among the 12 patent records retrieved with jurisdiction data, the breakdown is US (5), AU (4), WO (4), EP (1), and CA (1). Australian entities including Saluda Medical, Closed Loop Medical, and Mansell are disproportionately represented in the closed-loop and hardware innovation space relative to their market size. WO filings by EPFL, Spinex, and Mohabbati indicate global filing strategies from Switzerland, the USA, and individual inventor origins respectively.
Remote programming has shifted from pandemic contingency to emerging standard-of-care infrastructure. The ROAM-CPT prospective study validated an FDA-approved teleprogramming platform in 2021. The PreMaSy trial (2023) is testing smartphone-based remote SCS parameter adjustment in a randomized controlled trial. Chinese clinical data from the 2021 COVID-19 period confirms remote programming adoption in practice. The dataset’s strategic analysis identifies SCS systems without integrated remote management as facing increasing competitive disadvantage, especially in markets with limited specialist access.
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.