NERVE LOCATOR/STIMULATOR

• US 3,664,329 A
• Filed: 03/09/1970
• Issued: 05/23/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard Norman Naylor
• Original Assignee: Richard Norman Naylor
• Inventors: Naylor, Richard Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/017,457
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2.6R,2.1R,419,303.1,303.13,405,406 324/51,53
• US Class Current: 600/554
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0534 for testing vitality of teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4893 Nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36034 specified by the stimulation parameters

Abstract

A self contained, portable, disposable, self testing and self powered instrument for use in medical procedures to stimulate nerves and to determine if the tissue in question is a muscle controlling nerve, by delivering a maximum of 2 milliamperes of current through human tissue in the general area to be probed by an insertion of a probe electrode (negative) in subcutaneous tissue after an incision has been made and implanting a needle (positive electrode) anywhere in subcutaneous tissue as a ground.

Claims

1. A sterile, portable and disposable, self testing nerve locator/stimulator comprising a tubular casing, a source of direct current within the casing, a nerve probe needle mounted in one end of the casing in negative potential contact with said source, a flexible insulated conductor in positive potential contact at one end with said source, signal means in series with said conductor and said source, a grounding needle for implantation in living subcutaneous tissue, current limiting means serially connecting said grounding needle and the opposite end of said positive potential conductor, whereby to deliver a current maximum of approximately 2 milliamperes to subcutaneous tissue, in which the grounding needle is implanted, to said probe needle in contact with another area of living subcutaneous tissue, said positive conductor having an uninsulated portion between said current limiting means and the said one end of said positive conductor adapted to be contacted by said probe needle to shunt out said current limiting means and thereby energize the signal means.

2. In a sterile, disposable, single use nerve locator/stimulator, a tubular casing, a source of direct current within the casing, a subcutaneous probe needle, a grounding needle independent of said probe needle for implantation in subcutaneous tissue, a flexible insulated conductor electrically connecting the grounding needLe with the positive potential of said current source, said probe and grounding needles electrically coupled in series with said source for imparting negative polarity to the probe and positive polarity to the grounding needle when said needles are in contact with subcutaneous tissue areas of a living being, current limiting means serially connecting said grounding needle and the opposite end of said positive potential conductor, visual signal means in series with said conductor and said source, said positive potential conductor having an uninsulated portion between said current limiting means and the said one end of said positive conductor adapted to be contacted by said probe needle to shunt out said current limiting means and thereby energize the visual signal means.