Development of a novel compact, portable, ruggedized transcranial magnetic stimulation device

We are developing a novel repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) device that will be less than half the price, half the size, and half the weight of existing commercial devices, making TMS significantly more accessible and deployable in a multitude of environments and medical needs.

rTMS is an FDA-approved noninvasive brain stimulation technique that is proven to provide rapid (<5 days) remission of major depression disorder (MDD) in 79% of patients. 

Currently, 17.5 million individuals have been diagnosed with MDD in the US, with 50% of these patients having treatment-resistant depression (TRD) (meaning antidepressant medications do not provide them with adequate relief). This indicates a US market size of approximately 8.75 million individuals for TMS. A single TMS device at full capacity can treat about 150 patients per year, which means that 58,333 devices would need to be deployed to treat all 8.75 million US patients with TRD. There are presently only 2500 to 3000 TMS devices in the US across 1000 TMS clinics. 

The FDA has approved TMS devices from eight companies, all of which are large, heavy, and expensive, as they were designed to be stationary within a hospital or a dedicated TMS clinic with very limited portability. For example, MagVenture’s standard system, one of the most commonly used TMS devices, is approximately 160 lbs and 40x25x22 inches in size. Consequently, many providers are not able to afford or accommodate a TMS device for their clinic. This ultimately limits patients’ accessibility to state of-the-art FDA-approved mental health treatments. Current commercial devices retail for about $75,000. We aim to significantly reduce the cost to make TMS more accessible to providers and patients.

Our product design will be approximately 28.8 lbs and 12x12x12 inches in size. This technological advancement is made possible through a collaboration between the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab (BSL) and the Stanford University Power Electronics Research (SUPER) Lab, which specializes in building miniature high-voltage power supplies and high-efficiency power conversion circuits. The portability, durability, and affordability of our device will be highly desirable for a multitude of healthcare providers and settings and will make it possible to deploy TMS essentially anywhere.