MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Medical device maker Medtronic Inc. said Wednesday the Food and Drug Administration approved its RestoreUltra implantable pain treatment system, which uses focused electrical impulses to treat chronic back and leg pain.

Medtronic’s Spinal and Biologics business is based in Memphis.

The company said the RestoreUltra, which is smaller than a pocketwatch and is usually placed under the skin in the abdomen, works by blocking pain signals from moving through the nervous system and reaching the brain.

A remote control allows patients to adjust the level of stimulation at specific sites in the spinal cord, a feature previously only available in a physician's office. Medtronic said the system is already available in Europe and should be available in the U.S. by the end of February.

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