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Editor: Marc Jay Bern
Profession: Defective Medical Device Lawyer

Category: Medtronic News

Medtronic's RestoreULTRA device, a new "pain pacemaker" was approved, Wednesday, by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The device will allow patients to zap their spinal cords with small bursts of electricity when they are suffering intense leg and back pain by using an external remote control.

The device, no bigger than a slim pocket watch, is implanted under the skin (usually in the abdomen) and connected to the spinal cord by use of insulated wires. The neurostimulator sends small electrical pulses to the space near the spinal cord, preventing pain signals from traveling through the nervous system to the brain.

Previously made devices could not be switched on or off and the amount of electricity could not be controlled. The RestoreULTRA device has 16 electrodes that will allow the patient to target specific areas of the body for stimulation.