London, Jan 21 (PTI) An American pharma firm has claimed to have developed an electric device that shrinks enlarged prostates in just 30 minutes by passing a small current through it.
The Neuflo probe uses a mild electric current to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.
As men age, the prostate -- a walnutshaped gland that produces semen -- starts expanding and putting pressure on the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
The first sign of the condition is trouble in passing urine. If it becomes impossible to urinate, this can lead to kidney damage. If left untreated it can also cause bladder stones and depression, the Daily Mail reported.
The Neuflo probe works by generating a low-level current that kills thousands of cells in the enlarged prostate. The dying cells leave tiny 'voids' and the prostate collapses in on itself, easing pressure on the urethra.
The device, developed by US firm Ionix Medical, could be a speedy alternative to drugs or surgery and would be available within three years.