science

A lifetime in the pursuit of the ideal waveforms

Our journey into bioelectric neuromodulation began over 40 years ago, sparked by our founders’ exploration into the transformative effects of electrical nerve stimulation on pain relief, mood enhancement, and neural-hormonal stabilization.

Using his expertise in anesthesiology and neurophysiology, Innerstill’s founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Yakov Katsnelson, MD, PhD, pursued research in non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) in the 1980s, later expanding to in vivo studies in transcranial (tCES) and direct current stimulation (DCS). Dr. Katsnelson secured patents and launched three devices during that time. Recognized for his innovative work, Dr. Katsnelson was recruited to the United States in the mid-1990s, where he continued his research and development. In 2003, the FDA approved his transcranial stimulator, the Nexalin device, for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

By 2013, he teamed up with Hank Beckhoff, PsyD, a retired psychotherapist familiar with his innovations, to optimize the clinical application of these modalities. Together they developed a closed loop modulating technology using a mode of ‘interference’ current to access the serotonergic and endorphinergic pathways of the deep brain while simultaneously stimulating the cranial nerves (tCES/MIC), a novel, direct current stimulator (nDCS), and a multi-mode vagus nerve and acupressure point stimulator (nVNS/APS) for both the wellness and clinical markets.

All four modalities are non-invasive using minimal current, with specific wave forms and frequencies to maximize effectiveness while limiting the risks of overuse or hyper-polarization. Furthermore, the parameters are optimized so that there is no need to adjust settings.