Article

TMS for OCD: Inside Our Double Cone Coil

Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects roughly two to three percent of the population, and a meaningful share of patients don't get lasting relief from medication or exposure and response prevention therapy alone. For those patients, Brain Ultimate TMS offers an FDA-cleared alternative delivered through a coil built for the job.

The OCD Clearance

Brain Ultimate TMS holds FDA clearance under K243459 for the treatment of OCD. The OCD protocol runs 18 minutes at 20 Hz, targeting the supplementary motor area, and a typical course is delivered daily over about six weeks. As with any protocol, individual outcomes vary and are best discussed with a treating clinician.

18 MinSession Length
20 HzStimulation Frequency
SMATreatment Target
~6 WeeksTypical Course
Close-up of the Double Cone Coil placed on a seated model's head
The Double Cone Coil placed over the supplementary motor area.

The Treatment Site

OCD protocols target the supplementary motor area (SMA), a region along the top of the brain that sits within the circuit thought to drive OCD symptoms. OCD treatment aims at a region tied to the compulsive, repetitive behavior patterns at the core of the disorder. During a session, repeated magnetic pulses are delivered over the SMA at a set frequency, which is thought to modulate activity across that circuit over the course of treatment. Each pulse induces a small electrical current in the underlying neurons, and repeating that pulse hundreds of times a session, across many sessions, is thought to gradually shift how active that circuit is at rest. Over a full course of treatment, that shift is associated with the reduction in obsessive and compulsive symptoms seen in OCD patients.

Why OCD Needs a Different Coil

Most TMS systems built for depression use a figure eight coil, which produces a strong, tightly focused field near the surface of the brain. That focality is well suited to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the standard site for MDD treatment.

OCD treatment requires something different. Reaching the supplementary motor area and adjacent circuitry means going a bit deeper and covering a broader region than a figure eight coil is designed for.

The Liquid Double Cone Coil on its positioning arm over the treatment chair
The Liquid Double Cone Coil over the treatment chair.

Our Liquid Double Cone Coil

Engineered specifically for our FDA cleared OCD protocol.

Built to Reach Deeper

Using both its 120° angulation and larger windings, the coil can penetrate 4–5 cm into cortical structures while still keeping the field contained to the intended target.

Deionized Water Cooling

No oil or wax compounds — no swapping coils to let them cool between sessions and no oil to maintain, just consistent output across a full clinic day.

Built for the Long Run

The coil weighs 2–3 lbs when held and is rated for 50 million pulses, in line with the rest of the Brain Ultimate liquid cooled coil family.

What This Means for Your Practice

Adding OCD treatment to a practice already running Brain Ultimate TMS doesn't mean adding a second system. The Liquid Double Cone Coil works with the same M-Series platform, the same QuickStim software, and a similar positioning workflow to what your staff already knows. Swapping between the Flat Figure-8 coil and Double Cone Coil takes seconds and allows for quick setup between patients.

For patients who haven't found relief through first-line OCD treatments, having an FDA-cleared TMS option in house means one more path forward, without referring to a separate provider or a separate device.

Getting Started

The Liquid Double Cone Coil is available now for new Brain Ultimate TMS systems and as an addition to systems already in your practice. Reach out to our sales team to learn more about pricing, compatibility, and training on the OCD protocol.

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