Study involving BME researchers shows ultrasound therapy significantly reduces rheumatoid arthritis disease activity
May 9, 2024 — SecondWave Systems, a company co-founded by Department of Biomedical Engineering Professor Hubert Lim at the University of Minnesota, announced completion of a pilot clinical study evaluating its novel noninvasive ultrasound stimulation technology. The study marks the first demonstration of splenic ultrasound therapy to significantly reduce rheumatoid arthritis disease activity directly in human patients.
This study involved splenic ultrasound treatment of 13 participants, with 10 of 13 participants experiencing benefit during the treatment period. Participant feedback on treatment experience was positive for all 13 participants, and there were no device-related serious adverse events.
Called SecondWave MINI, it is a first-of-its-kind, wearable therapeutic ultrasound device for noninvasive and personalized treatment of chronic and acute inflammatory disorders. The pilot clinical study (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT05417854) assessed the safety and initial efficacy of the SecondWave MINI in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
“Results from this study using the SecondWave MINI device support for the first time that splenic ultrasound has potential to modulate disease symptoms and indicators of inflammation directly in humans suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, which is a major milestone for the field of bio-ultrasonic medicine,” says Professor Lim, who is also Chief Scientific Officer at SecondWave Systems.