(ECNS) -- The Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, together with other institutions, has developed a new device that uses targeted cooling to relieve pain, the institute announced Tuesday.
The device is based on a semi-implantable thermoelectric cooler. It works by cooling a specific area of the spine called the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) — a key hub where pain signals are relayed to the brain. By lowering the temperature at this hub, the device essentially "turns down the volume" of pain signals, according to Sun Chao, a research assistant at the institute.
The research team tested the device on mice with inflammatory pain. They found that when the local temperature was lowered to 29°C, the mice showed significant relief from both mechanical and heat pain. The effect lasted for one hour after cooling stopped.
More importantly, after four consecutive days of treatment, the pain relief became stronger each day, suggesting the cooling wasn't just temporarily numbing the nerves but may have actually changed how they function.
The team also found that the cooling treatment didn't just block physical pain signals — it also helped relieve the negative emotions associated with pain.
Mice that experienced the cooling treatment actively sought out the environment where they had received it, indicating that the cooling provided a positive, rewarding experience.
The research provides a new technical approach for pain management. The device shows promise for applications in surgical pain relief, chronic pain treatment and even veterinary medicine, the institute said.
(By Tang Yuxian)
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