Break-apart needle electrode system for monitoring facial EMG
First Claim
1. A needle electrode system comprising,a) a pair of needle electrodes,b) an electrically conductive wire joined to each needle electrode to permit electrical conduction through said needle electrodes from said electrically conductive wires, each said electrically conductive wire including connection means for connection to an electrical source to permit electrical conduction through respective said needle electrodes from respective said wires,c) means for joining said needle electrodes together in a predetermined spaced relationship for simultaneous insertion of said needle electrodes into a body tissue,d) said joining means including a break-apart joint for permitting said needle electrodes to be separated from each other to allow separate insertion of said needle electrodes into a body tissue at a selected spacing from each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The break-apart needle electrode system includes a pair of needle electrodes housed together in a fixed spaced-apart relationship. The needle electrodes are joined to electrical conductive wire for detachable connection to an electrical source. The needle electrodes are used in intraoperative facial nerve monitoring by facial electromyographic recording. Since the needle electrodes are furnished as a bipolar pair with twisted leads in a single break-away housing, they provide standardization, ease of placement and close bipolar recording. In instances where separate placement of needle electrodes is desired, the housing can be broken apart at a break-away joint. The needle electrodes are easily manipulated at the housing section as a tandem unit or as separate entities after the housing is broken apart.
269 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A needle electrode system comprising,
a) a pair of needle electrodes, b) an electrically conductive wire joined to each needle electrode to permit electrical conduction through said needle electrodes from said electrically conductive wires, each said electrically conductive wire including connection means for connection to an electrical source to permit electrical conduction through respective said needle electrodes from respective said wires, c) means for joining said needle electrodes together in a predetermined spaced relationship for simultaneous insertion of said needle electrodes into a body tissue, d) said joining means including a break-apart joint for permitting said needle electrodes to be separated from each other to allow separate insertion of said needle electrodes into a body tissue at a selected spacing from each other.
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10. A needle electrode system comprising,
a) a pair of needle electrodes, b) a housing for joining said needle electrodes together in a fixed predetermined spaced and parallel relationship, c) an electrically conductive wire corresponding to each said needle electrode, each said wire having one end extending from a respective said needle electrode such that said needle electrodes, when joined together, are independently conductive, d) said housing including a break-apart joint to permit separation of said needle electrodes whereby said needle electrodes are separate and independently conductive.
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16. A method of recording facial electromyographic activity comprising,
a) joining a pair of needle electrodes together in a fixed predetermined spacial relationship, b) extending electrical wires separately from each of the needle electrodes to permit independent conductive activity to each of said needle electrodes, c) forming a weakness in the joint that connects the needle electrodes together such that the needle electrodes can be broken apart at will while maintaining their independent electrical conductivity, d) inserting the needle electrodes into a body tissue and, e) recording facial electromyographic activity from the insertion location of the needle electrodes.
Specification