ABNORMAL NERVE PRESSURE LOCUS DETECTOR AND METHOD

• US 3,785,368 A
• Filed: 08/23/1971
• Issued: 01/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dale R. Lumb, Thomas M. Mccarthy
• Original Assignee: Dale R. Lumb, Thomas M. Mccarthy
• Inventors: McCarthy, Thomas M., Lumb, Dale R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US05/173,935
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2A,2H,2N,2R,2.1E,2.1R,2.1Z
• US Class Current: 600/384
• 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

Abstract

A system, device and method for readily detecting the locus of a subluxated or pinched nerve along the spinal column and particularly for identifying which particular pair of vertebrae are pressing upon a pinched nerve has been disclosed so that a medical person can relieve the pressure as by adjusting alignment of one of the pair of vertebrae. A T-shaped scanning probe is employed to explore along the regions directly over and also flanking the spinal column while another probe is held tightly in the patient'"'"''"'"'s hand whereby a low voltage circuit can be provided which develops fluctuations in a meter reading the current or voltage through the circuit as the T-shaped probe is drawn along the back of the patient. A method for detecting nerve root pressure subluxations of the body of a patient in the regions of the spinal column in a manner which identifies the locus of the subluxation comprises a number of manipulative steps characterized by drawing the cross-piece of the probe along the back of the patient while directing the current in the circuit to emerge from the back of the patient into the T-shaped probe.

Claims

1. A system for detecting abnormal nerve pressure along the spinal column characterized by a D.C. power supply having means for supplying both a positive and negative D.C. polarity, an elongated electrode element coupled to said means to be conditioned to a predetermined one of said polarities and adapted to be pressed against and wiped substantially in line contact with the skin of a patient along a path adjacent and flanking the patient'"'"''"'"'s spinal column, the electrode element being adapted to contact the patient'"'"''"'"'s back and span the average distance between the sympathetic ganglionic chain of nerves of the spinal column and the midline of the spinal column and having an arcuate outer peripheral surface means for providing a line contact with said skin, another electrode adapted to be held in the hand of the patient and coupled to the first said means to have a D.C. polarity opposite said predetermined polarity for forming an electrical path via the patient between the first and second named electrodes, and means for detecting impedance changes in said electrical path while wiping the first named electrode along the first named path for indicating changes in specific sweat gland activity of the patient along said first named path.

2. A system according to claim 1 further including means serving to establish said polaritEs to provide D.C. current flow from the hand-held electrode via the body of the patient and from the body to the first named electrode.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the first named electrode comprises a T-shaped member having a stem portion and wherein said element comprises the cross-piece of the T-shaped member, said cross-piece being adapted for engaging the skin of a patient, said cross-piece forming a line contact with said skin notwithstanding varying angular orientations of the stem portion of the T-member, said cross-piece having a length of the order of 32mm and an arcuate outer surface portion formed from a cylinder having a diameter of the order of 4mm.

4. A method for detecting nerve pressure in the body of a patient in the region of the spinal column in a manner identifying the vertebral level at which abnormal nerve pressure exists in the patient comprising the steps of disposing an electrode tightly held in the patient'"'"''"'"'s hand, applying a D.C. electric potential to said electrode, applying a D.C. potential of opposite polarity to and pressing a second electrode with moderate pressure against the skin in said surface areas to form a portion of an electrical circuit via the body of the patient between the first named electrode and said second electrode, said second electrode having an elongated rod-like skin-engaging portion of predetermined length and an arcuate outer surface for contacting the skin, the radius of said arcuate surface lying in a range to make a line contact with the skin of a width of the order of the specific sweat gland pores of the skin, orienting said portion of said second electrode to extend laterally of the spinal column, drawing said second electrode along said surface areas while measuring the electrical resistance in said circuit portion to detect abrupt substantial changes therein, and marking the skin at the locus of such resistance changes to identify the vertebral level at which the indicated nerve pressure exists.

5. A method for detecting the vertebral level at which abnormal nerve pressure exists in the body of a patient according to Claim 4 wherein the current flow in said circuit portion is oriented to pass from the hand-held electrode to said second electrode via the patient'"'"''"'"'s body for completing an electric path leading out of the patient'"'"''"'"'s body via said skin surfaces directly over or flanking the spinal column.