Urinary incontinence (UI) affects an estimated 400 million people globally, according to the World Health Organization. Characterised by the involuntary leakage of urine, UI can profoundly impact daily functioning, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. Women and older adults are disproportionately affected. Yet underreporting, stigma and limited access to effective treatments mean many sufferers go without proper care.
While lifestyle modifications, pelvic floor exercises, and medications can offer relief in mild to moderate cases, they often fall short for those with more severe or refractory symptoms. In recent years, neurostimulation, also known as neuromodulation, has emerged as a promising, minimally invasive intervention. This treatment offers durable symptom relief to patients unresponsive to traditional therapy.
Neurostimulation therapy delivers low-voltage electrical impulses to the nerves involved in bladder control, rebalancing communication between the brain and bladder to reduce urgency and suppress involuntary contractions.
The most established modality is sacral nerve stimulation (SNS), which involves implanting a device near the sacral nerve in the lower back. More recent advances have led to percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) and the development of small, implantable devices placed directly within the bladder itself. This delivers more targeted therapy with fewer side effects.
Rather than requiring a permanent implant, PTNS delivers electrical pulses through a fine needle inserted near the tibial nerve in the ankle, which indirectly stimulates the sacral nerve complex. Companies such as Laborie have helped bring PTNS systems such as Urgent PC into broader clinical use, offering a treatment pathway that avoids surgery altogether.
Medtech companies are also exploring miniaturised, implantable devices that sit directly within the bladder. These next-generation systems are designed to provide continuous, localised stimulation while dramatically reducing the risk of off-target effects. Amber Therapeutics is developing implantable neuromodulation devices that allow for adaptive therapy in real-time, a step towards closed-loop systems that could tailor stimulation to patient-specific neural responses.
These approaches are gaining traction as part of a broader shift towards minimally invasive, device-based urology. According to GlobalData, the global neuromodulation device market was valued at almost $7bn in 2024 and is projected to reach $8.284bn by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% during this period.
Minimally invasive surgery and advanced materials
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques aim to reduce tissue trauma, speed up recovery, and lower healthcare costs. These benefits are increasingly achievable thanks to the development of miniature yet strong components and flexible, high-performance materials.
Among the critical components are ultra-fine conductive and sensing wires. These wires enable the delivery of precise electrical impulses or help monitor physiological signals such as detecting bladder filling. To enhance performance and biocompatibility, these wires are often coated with polymers or insulation layers and manufactured using corrosion-resistant alloys. Stimulator leads, which transmit the electrical signals from the pulse generator to the target nerve, may also be electroplated to improve electrical conductivity and longevity.
In the context of UI treatment, nitinol remains widely used in anchoring mechanisms that deploy inside the bladder or near the sacral nerve, conforming precisely to surrounding tissues to remain secure. Furthermore, nitinol is critical in the design of flexible instruments for minimally invasive procedures or delivery systems such as catheters, which must navigate tortuous anatomical pathways with minimal trauma.
One of the industry’s leading innovators in this field is Alleima, a company renowned for its expertise in processing nitinol for complex components, implants, and flexible instruments. Alleima also specialises in the design, development, and production of ultra-fine medical wires and wire-based solutions, meticulously engineered to endure millions of movement cycles within the body without fatigue or degradation. These wires play a pivotal role in ensuring precise signal transmission and sensing accuracy, which are critical for the effective function of neurostimulation devices.
The enhanced material performance has been made possible by advances in wire engineering and materials science. This has reduced the need for device revisions, improved patient comfort, and increased long-term treatment adherence. Importantly, because the therapy is adjustable and minimally invasive, it can be tailored to suit an individual’s symptom profile with fewer risks and shorter recovery times than traditional surgery.
Engineering a better future for incontinence care
As populations age and healthcare systems seek more efficient ways to manage chronic conditions, technologies such as neurostimulation are set to play an increasingly central role. The integration of materials like nitinol in medical solutions, supported by companies such as Alleima, allows medical devices to be smaller, safer, and more adaptable to patient needs.
Alleima’s wire-based solutions are designed to sense, measure, transmit, stimulate, catch, or cut. The company’s innovations and engineering services are commonly applied to various neurostimulation fields such as Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), epilepsy and pain management, as well as UI.
The convergence of material science, device miniaturisation, and digital health integration points to a future where neurostimulation can be delivered with even greater precision and ease. Alleima’s material expertise, from stainless steel to advanced alloys, its broad precision manufacturing capabilities, its experience in designing and developing solutions for the most demanding medical applications, and its global footprint make it an end-to-end partner for leading OEMs.
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