Transcutaneous electrical nerve locator

• US 7,010,352 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2003
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MCW Research Foundation Inc (Medical College of Wisconsin Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MCW Research Foundation Inc (Medical College of Wisconsin Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hogan, Quinn H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US10/731,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 600/554, 600/587, 600/486, 600/557, 600/547, 600/300, 600/309, 600/306, 600/308, 600/344, 600/384, 600/388, 600/393, 600/503, 607/46, 607/48, 607/115, 607/145, 216/17, 604/116
• US Class Current: 607/48
• 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 5/4893 Nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6806 Gloves
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625

Abstract

A conductive electrode is attached to the clinician'"'"'s finger and current pulses are applied thereto as the clinician searches for a nerve to be anesthetized by palpating in the region of the nerve. The target nerve is stimulated to indicate when the nerve is located.

Claims

1. A method for anesthetizing a nerve in a subject, the steps comprising:

a) placing an electrode on the finger of one hand of the clinician;

b) palpating the subject with the finger of the one hand of the clinician to locate structures in the vicinity of the nerve;

c) applying current pulses to the subject through the electrode to locate the nerve by stimulating the nerve; and

d) injecting an anesthetic into the subject using the other hand of the clinician.

2. An electrode for locating a nerve in a subject during an anesthetizing procedure, the combination comprising:

a conductive layer having a conductive surface for contacting the subject and a back surface;

a lead for electrically connecting the conductive layer to a source of current pulses;

an adhesive layer disposed on the back surface of the conductive layer to enable the back surface of the conductive layer to be removably attached to the distal finger pad of an examining clinician.

3. The electrode as recited in claim 2 in which the conductive surface has a substantially circular shape and has a diameter of substantially 9 mm.