System and methods for performing neurophysiologic assessments during spine surgery
First Claim
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1. A system for performing neurophysiologic assessments during surgery, comprising:
- a stimulator configured to deliver first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals to the motor cortex of a patient;
first and second sensors, each configured to detect at least one motor evoked potential response evoked by the first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals; and
a control unit in communication with the stimulator and the first and second sensors, the control unit being configured to (a) maintain first and second channels, said first channel associated with said first sensor and said second channel associated with said second sensor;
(b) in response to a user input to initiate stimulation, direct transmission of the first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals, each of said first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals including stimulation signals having different electrical current amplitude, (c) receive evoked motor evoked potential response data from the first and second sensors, (d) determine a first lowest stimulation current amplitude for the first channel from the first set of electrical stimulation signals that evokes a motor evoked potential response greater than a threshold level, (e) determine a second lowest stimulation current amplitude for the second channel from the second set of electrical stimulation signals that evokes a motor evoked potential response greater than said threshold level, wherein determining the second lowest stimulation current amplitude is based at least in part on a determination of the lowest stimulation signal amplitude of the first set of stimulation signals that recruited on the second channel and the highest stimulation signal amplitude of the first set of stimulation signals that did not recruit on the second channel; and
(f) communicate an onscreen assessment of a spinal cord health status to be displayed to a user in response to (d) and (e).
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Abstract
A system and methods for performing neurophysiology assessments during surgery, such as assessing the health of the spinal cord via at least one of MEP and SSEP monitoring and assessing bone integrity, nerve proximity, neuromuscular pathway, and nerve pathology during spine surgery.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A system for performing neurophysiologic assessments during surgery, comprising:
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a stimulator configured to deliver first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals to the motor cortex of a patient; first and second sensors, each configured to detect at least one motor evoked potential response evoked by the first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals; and a control unit in communication with the stimulator and the first and second sensors, the control unit being configured to (a) maintain first and second channels, said first channel associated with said first sensor and said second channel associated with said second sensor;
(b) in response to a user input to initiate stimulation, direct transmission of the first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals, each of said first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals including stimulation signals having different electrical current amplitude, (c) receive evoked motor evoked potential response data from the first and second sensors, (d) determine a first lowest stimulation current amplitude for the first channel from the first set of electrical stimulation signals that evokes a motor evoked potential response greater than a threshold level, (e) determine a second lowest stimulation current amplitude for the second channel from the second set of electrical stimulation signals that evokes a motor evoked potential response greater than said threshold level, wherein determining the second lowest stimulation current amplitude is based at least in part on a determination of the lowest stimulation signal amplitude of the first set of stimulation signals that recruited on the second channel and the highest stimulation signal amplitude of the first set of stimulation signals that did not recruit on the second channel; and
(f) communicate an onscreen assessment of a spinal cord health status to be displayed to a user in response to (d) and (e). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for performing neurophysiologic assessment surgery, comprising:
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a first stimulator configured to deliver first and second sets of electrical stimulation signals to the motor cortex of a patient to perform motor-evoked potential monitoring, the first set of stimulation signals including a first electrical stimulation signal having a first stimulation current amplitude and a second electrical stimulation signal having a second stimulation current amplitude different from the first electrical current amplitude and the second set of electrical stimulation signals including a third electrical stimulation signal having a third stimulation current amplitude and a fourth electrical stimulation signal having a fourth stimulation current amplitude different from the third electrical current amplitude; a second stimulator configured to deliver a third set of electrical stimulation signals to one or more peripheral nerves within the patient to perform at least one of somatosensory evoked potential monitoring, nerve direction assessment, nerve pathology assessment, and neuromuscular pathway assessment; a processor in communication with the first and second stimulators and a plurality of sensors for detecting the responses to the first, second, and third sets of stimulation signals, the processor being configured to (a) direct transmission of the first, second, and third sets of stimulation signals, wherein at least the first set of stimulation signals is transmitted in response to a user input to initiate stimulation, (b) receive data from the sensors, (c) determine a first lowest stimulation current amplitude from the first set of stimulation signals delivered from the first stimulator that evokes a motor evoked potential response greater than a first threshold level, (d) determine a second lowest stimulation current amplitude from the second set of stimulation signals delivered from the first stimulator that evokes a corresponding neuromuscular response greater than a second threshold level, wherein determining the second lowest stimulation current amplitude is based at least in part on a determination of the lowest stimulation signal amplitude of the first set of stimulation signals that recruited and the highest signal amplitude of the first set of stimulation signals that did not recruit, (e) determine a third lowest stimulation current amplitude from the third set of stimulation signals delivered from the second stimulator that evokes a corresponding neuromuscular response greater than a third threshold level; and
(f) communicate an onscreen assessment of a spinal cord health status to be displayed to a user in response to (c) and (d) and an onscreen assessment of at least one of nerve direction, nerve pathology, and neuromuscular pathway integrity status to be displayed to a user in response to (e). - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification