U.S. device maker Biowave said Tuesday it has been cleared to market its Deepwave Percutaneous Neuromodulation pain therapy system. The painkilling system is a single-use device that applies a patented percutaneous electrode array to deliver electronic signals through the skin and into deep tissue.

The signals block the transmission of chronic, acute or post-operative musculoskeletal pain, the company said.

The disposable Deepwave system is made up of 1,014 micro-needles in a 2.5-inch diameter patch that feels like Velcro or sandpaper on the skin and is applied for 30 minutes, Biowave added.

The company said its new pain-relief device might replace first-responder pain treatments like opiates or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or physical therapy and can be used before more invasive therapies like injectable drugs and surgery.

Biowave said it would distribute the new system first to specialty physicians, such as pain-management doctors, spine surgeons and sports-medicine surgeons.