Electromyography system
First Claim
1. A system for detecting a defect in a pedicle wall within the spine of a patient, said patient having a spinal nerve lying adjacent to the pedicle, said system comprising:
- a stimulator configured to generate an electrical stimulus to be applied to said pedicle bone;
a plurality of sensors each connected to a sensor input channel on a monitor, each sensor configured to couple to a different muscle myotome and sense muscle activity from the coupled muscle myotome, the monitor configured to detect from each of the plurality of sensors if the electrical stimulus applied to the pedicle results in a threshold neuro-muscular response from the coupled myotome, the threshold neuro-muscular response having muscle activity greater than a predetermined magnitude;
a processor controlled adjuster configured to automatically adjust by constant increments the magnitude of the electrical stimulus generated by said stimulator until said monitor detects said threshold neuro-muscular response from at least one of said plurality of sensors; and
a communicator configured to display, in response to said monitor detecting said threshold neuro-mucular response, the magnitude of the electrical stimulus which caused said threshold neuro-muscular response.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for determining structural integrity of a bone within the spine of a patient, the bone having a first aspect and a second aspect, wherein the second aspect separated from the first aspect by a width and located adjacent to a spinal nerve. The methods involve (a) applying an electrical stimulus to the first aspect of the bone; (b) electrically monitoring a muscle myotome associated with the spinal nerve to detect if an onset neuro-muscular response occurs in response to the application of the electrical stimulus to the first aspect of the bone; (c) automatically increasing the magnitude of the electrical stimulus to until the onset neuro-muscular response is detected; and (d) communicating to a user via at least one of visual and audible means information representing the magnitude of the electrical stimulus which caused the onset neuro-muscular response.
107 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A system for detecting a defect in a pedicle wall within the spine of a patient, said patient having a spinal nerve lying adjacent to the pedicle, said system comprising:
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a stimulator configured to generate an electrical stimulus to be applied to said pedicle bone; a plurality of sensors each connected to a sensor input channel on a monitor, each sensor configured to couple to a different muscle myotome and sense muscle activity from the coupled muscle myotome, the monitor configured to detect from each of the plurality of sensors if the electrical stimulus applied to the pedicle results in a threshold neuro-muscular response from the coupled myotome, the threshold neuro-muscular response having muscle activity greater than a predetermined magnitude; a processor controlled adjuster configured to automatically adjust by constant increments the magnitude of the electrical stimulus generated by said stimulator until said monitor detects said threshold neuro-muscular response from at least one of said plurality of sensors; and a communicator configured to display, in response to said monitor detecting said threshold neuro-mucular response, the magnitude of the electrical stimulus which caused said threshold neuro-muscular response. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification