Method for measuring a bulbocavernosus reflex
First Claim
1. A non-invasive method for measuring a bulbocavernosus reflex, comprising:
- providing a probe comprising;
a housing with an opening therethrough, said housing operably associated with a probe tip;
a patient contact shield cap for covering the probe tip, said cap having a shaft which is slidable along an axis within a bore through the cap, said shaft extending through the bore, said shaft being movable along a longtidunal axis and having an expanded portion that prevents the shaft from sliding out of the opening in the housing;
said shaft having an inner end attached to an elastomeric component, said inner end of the shaft and the elastomeric component being received in a recess within the probe, wherein the shaft is slidable along the axis within the recess, the elastomeric component fitting within the recess and exerting a force effective for causing the expanded portion to contact the interior of the cap; and
a single electrical conductor attached to the expanded portion and concentric to the shaft;
abruptly forcing the contact shield cap into contact with a patient'"'"'s genital area, wherein the shaft slides along the axis and thereby compresses the elastomeric component by an amount effective for causing the conductor to contact a pair of spaced apart electrodes; and
detecting current flow between the electrodes to identify a time indicative of the cap contacting the patient for inducing a bulbocavernosus reflex;
wherein upon abruptly contacting a patient'"'"'s genital area, the electrical conductor moves toward the probe tip and slides past the pair of electrodes so that the flow of current between the electrodes ceases, and wherein said detecting current flow step provides a signal effective for commencing the timing of a delay in a bulbocavernosus reflex.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method is disclosed for measuring muscle reflexes (e.g., a bulbocavernosus reflex) as a tool for identifying/diagnosing dysfunctions (e.g., spinal cord abnormalities, bladder voiding dysfunction, and sexual organ dysfunction) non-invasively by using mechanical stimulation. The system and method includes a probe having a predetermined patient contacting portion, wherein when the contacting portion is moved into contact with a particular area of the patient (e.g., the patient'"'"'s genitals), the contact induces a muscle reflex. The probe detects the pressure resulting from the contacting portion being abruptly and forcibly brought into contact with the particular area. Such detection is used to electronically initiate capture of electrical responses from a plurality of electrodes placed on the patient'"'"'s skin in proximity to the particular area. Such electrical responses are processed to determine characteristics of the patient'"'"'s reflexes of one or more muscles adjacent to the electrodes.
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Citations
3 Claims
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1. A non-invasive method for measuring a bulbocavernosus reflex, comprising:
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providing a probe comprising; a housing with an opening therethrough, said housing operably associated with a probe tip;
a patient contact shield cap for covering the probe tip, said cap having a shaft which is slidable along an axis within a bore through the cap, said shaft extending through the bore, said shaft being movable along a longtidunal axis and having an expanded portion that prevents the shaft from sliding out of the opening in the housing;
said shaft having an inner end attached to an elastomeric component, said inner end of the shaft and the elastomeric component being received in a recess within the probe, wherein the shaft is slidable along the axis within the recess, the elastomeric component fitting within the recess and exerting a force effective for causing the expanded portion to contact the interior of the cap; and
a single electrical conductor attached to the expanded portion and concentric to the shaft;abruptly forcing the contact shield cap into contact with a patient'"'"'s genital area, wherein the shaft slides along the axis and thereby compresses the elastomeric component by an amount effective for causing the conductor to contact a pair of spaced apart electrodes; and detecting current flow between the electrodes to identify a time indicative of the cap contacting the patient for inducing a bulbocavernosus reflex; wherein upon abruptly contacting a patient'"'"'s genital area, the electrical conductor moves toward the probe tip and slides past the pair of electrodes so that the flow of current between the electrodes ceases, and wherein said detecting current flow step provides a signal effective for commencing the timing of a delay in a bulbocavernosus reflex. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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Specification