Method of positioning electrodes for central nervous system monitoring and sensing pain reactions of a patient

• US 20040204656A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Healthcare Finland OY (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GE Healthcare Finland OY (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tolvanen-Laakso, Heli, Paloheimo, Markku, Viertio-Oja, Hanna
• Granted Patent: US 7,130,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1106 to assess neuromuscular blockade, e.g. to estimate depth of anaesthesia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4821 Determining level or depth of anaesthesia A61B5/1106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head

Abstract

A method concerning measurements by using an electrode array comprising three electrodes for central nervous system (CNS) monitoring from the forehead of a patient'"'"'s head. A first electrode of said three electrodes is positioned between the eyebrows or immediately above the eyebrows of the patient. A third electrode of said three electrodes is positioned apart from the first electrode on the hairless fronto-lateral area of the forehead the patient. A second electrode is positioned between the first and the third electrodes on the forehead of the patient.

Claims

1. Method of positioning electrodes in an electrode array comprising three electrodes for central nervous system (CNS) monitoring from the forehead of a patient'"'"'s head, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning a first electrode of said three electrodes between the eyebrows or above the eyebrows near frontalis and orbicularis muscles of the patient;

positioning a third electrode of said three electrodes apart from the first electrode on the hairless fronto-lateral area of the frontal lobe of the patient; and

positioning a second electrode between the first and the third electrodes on the forehead of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the first and the third electrodes are measuring electrodes and the second electrode is a ground electrode.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the second electrode is positioned essentially in the middle of the first and the second electrodes having essentially the same distance to said first and third electrodes.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the first and the third electrodes are recording electroencephalography (EEG).

5. The method of claim 4, in which the first electrode is recording mainly frontal electromyography (FEMG) signals when the patient is awake or the patient feels pain.

6. The method of claim 4, in which the third electrode is recording mainly electroencephalography (EEG) signal from the fronto-lateral area of the forehead.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising the step of positioning at least one additional electrode on the area surrounding the eye of the patient to monitor the movements of the eye.

8. The method of claim 7, in which two additional electrodes are used.

9. The method of claim 7, in which the additional electrodes are positioned above or/and under the eye or/and adjacent to the eye.

18. The method of claim 2, in which the second electrode is positioned essentially in the middle of the first and the second electrodes having essentially the same distance to said first and third electrodes.

19. The method of claim 2, in which the first and the third electrodes are recording electroencephalography (EEG).

20. The method of claim 3, in which the first and the third electrodes are recording electroencephalography (EEG).

21. The method of claim 8, in which the additional electrodes are positioned above or/and under the eye or/and adjacent to the eye.

10. Method of sensing pain reactions of a patient in which method an array comprising three electrodes for central nervous system (CNS) monitoring comprising frontal electromyography (FEMG) signal from a patient'"'"'s head, said method comprising the steps of:

positioning a first electrode of said three electrodes on the hairless area of the patient'"'"'s head in which the FEMG signal is strong;

positioning a third electrode of said three electrodes on the hairless area of the patient'"'"'s head;

positioning a second electrode on the hairless area of the patient'"'"'s head; and

recording mainly frontal electromyography (FEMG) signals by using the first electrode to obtain an early indication of pain reactions.

11. The method of claim 10, in which method the central nervous system (CNS) monitoring comprises electroencephalography (EEG) signal from the patient'"'"'s head and in which method the first electrode is positioned on the area of the patient'"'"'s head in which the FEMG signal is stronger than the EEG signal and the third electrode is positioned on the area of the patient'"'"'s head in which the EEG signal is stronger than the FEMG signal.

12. The method of claim 10, in which the first electrode is positioned between the eyebrows or above the eyebrows near frontalis and orbicularis muscles of the patient, the third electrode is positioned apart from the first electrode on the hairless fronto-lateral area of the frontal lobe of the patient, and the second electrode is positioned between the first and the third electrodes.

13. The method of claim 10, in which the first and the third electrodes are measuring electrodes and the second electrode is a ground electrode.

14. The method of claim 13, in which the second electrode is positioned essentially in the middle of the first and the second electrodes having essentially the same distance to said first and third electrodes.

15. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising the step of positioning at least one additional electrode on the area surrounding the eye of the patient to monitor the movements of the eye.

16. The method of claim 15, in which two additional electrodes are used.

17. The method of claim 15, in which the additional electrodes are positioned above or/and under the eye or/and adjacent to the eye.

22. The method of claim 11, in which the first electrode is positioned between the eyebrows or above the eyebrows near frontalis and orbicularis muscles of the patient, the third electrode is positioned apart from the first electrode on the hairless fronto-lateral area of the frontal lobe of the patient, and the second electrode is positioned between the first and the third electrodes.

23. The method of claim 11, in which the first and the third electrodes are measuring electrodes and the second electrode is a ground electrode.

24. The method of claim 12, in which the first and the third electrodes are measuring electrodes and the second electrode is a ground electrode.

25. The method of claim 16, in which the additional electrodes are positioned above or/and under the eye or/and adjacent to the eye.