Nerve coolers?

Pain control is a pressing health issue for many people, often having to resort to effective but highly addictive and sometimes deadly opioid pain relievers. This has made the development of localized, non-opioid and non-addictive alternatives very attractive, one such approach being analgesic nerve cooling, which promises to be an effective and reversible way of relieving pain, even after amputations, nerve grafts or spinal decompression surgeries, for example. Much like icing a sore joint or muscle, the targeted application of cold temperature directly to nerves can block the conduction of pain signals, providing temporary relief.

In a new bid to alleviate opioid misuse, scientists said in a new study that they developed and implanted small “nerve coolers” in rats that provide targeted, on-demand pain relief. The study found that the miniature dissolvable implants, designed to suppress pain signals in peripheral nerves without the side effects associated with opioids and other pain relievers, produced highly localized cooling when tested in rats with neuropathic pain.

The device contains an integrated thin-film thermal sensor that provides real-time temperature monitoring and control. Made from water soluble “biocompatible” materials that can be absorbed by the body over time, reducing the risk of surgery, these devices are fully bioresorbable, with an operational shelf life of a few weeks and a time for complete dissolution of a few months.

What do you think?