Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) said yesterday that U.S. patients have begun receiving test evaluations with its new Verify system to evaluate whether they could benefit from its InterStim incontinence device.

The InterStim system is a neurostimulation device that delivers small amounts of electrical current to the sacral nerve in patients with overactive bladder, non-obstructive urinary retention or bowel incontinence who have not responded or are not candidates for more conservative treatments, according to a press release.

The Verify device is a temporary, belt-worn external neurostimulator with a thin lead implanted during a minimally invasive procedure, Medtronic said. After a 2-week evaluation period, it helps physicians decide whether to implant the InterStim device, a pacemaker-like neurotransmitter placed under the skin.

About 150,000 patients worldwide have been treated with Medtronic bladder or bowel control therapies, according to Medtronic.

"Mild stimulation of the sacral nerves can have a significant impact on patients suffering from overactive bladder, urinary retention or bowel control issues," Dr. Ken Peters of the Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., said in prepared remarks. "The trial stimulation period allows them to try the therapy before having a neurostimulator implanted."

More than 37 million adults in the U.S. suffer from overactive bladder, and nearly 18 million Americans have bowel incontinence, according to the company.