Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) today said it has launched its InterStim Micro neurostimulator in the U.S.
The sacral neuromodulation therapy was FDA approved earlier this week and received CE mark approval in January.
InterStim Micro is a neurostimulator that sends electrical impulses to the sacral nerves in the lower back to improve bladder and bowel control. The therapy offers control of symptoms through direct modulation of nerve activity to normalize communication between the bladder and the brain.
“Effective long-term bladder and bowel control is needed for almost 55 million adults in the United States who often experience regular accidents and/or frequency issues that are associated with overactive bladder (OAB) and fecal incontinence (FI),” Sandip Vasavada, professor at the Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute and section head female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, said in a news release. “A new FDA-approved option for these patients is a step forward.”
Medtronic’s InterStim Micro is 50% smaller than other sacral nerve modulation devices on the market and can recharge from 0% to 100% in less than one hour and hold a battery life of 15 years.
“OAB and FI patients want to live a life without limits, and we designed our new rechargeable SNM system to advance this reality,” Brooke Story, VP and GM of pelvic health and gastric therapies at Medtronic, said. “We created our entire InterStim portfolio in partnership with physicians backed by a 25-year track record of experience in sacral neuromodulation including over 325,000 implanted patients, 5-year clinical data and more than 1,000 peer-reviewed articles. We are confident our InterStim systems give patients and physicians the best choice in SNM therapy.”