HUMS Device: Minimally Invasive Treatment of Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)

Approximately 10 million Americans have PVD, and the disease affects almost 20 percent of the population over 65 years old. Smokers and diabetics are especially susceptible to the disease. The disease is a general term that describes obstructions of the large arteries excluding the coronary artery, the aortic arch and the brain. The disease is often characterized by swelling in various areas of the body, pain while walking short distances and in more serious cases pain at rest. When the disease is highly evolved in certain individuals, gangrene may develop.

Pre-surgical treatments to PVD include various drug regimens, including blood-pressure medication and cholesterol medication, which are highly expensive and are accompanied by a score of life-altering side effects. Additionally, lifestyle changes such as dieting, exercise and cessation of smoking, while effective, are very difficult to enforce by physicians. The Human-Ultrasonic Mesenchyme-Stimulating (HUMS) Device relies on the application of high frequency stimulation, in the ultrasound frequency range, to areas with a high density of mesenchymal tissue in order to mimic the longitudinal stresses of exercise in these areas and release endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from the mesenchyme into the peripheral blood. Research has shown that an increased EPC count has a causal relationship with reduction of PVD symptoms. The peripheral application of the device makes it non-invasive, and since it is a one-time purchase it is more cost-effective than drugs. Finally, its easy application will make it a more appealing treatment than change of lifestyle.