Electromyography system

• US 20080064976A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nuvasive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nuvasive Incorporated
• Inventors: Kelleher, Brian, Stone, Corbett, Marino, James, Owens, Jeffrey, Vaughn, Robin
• Granted Patent: US 8,641,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/546
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00234 for minimally invasive surgery A61B17/0218, A61B17/0469, A61B17/12013, A61B17/1285, A61B17/29, A61B17/320016 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4893 Nerves

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.

Claims

1. A method of determining structural integrity of a bone within the spine of a patient, the bone having a first aspect and a second aspect, said second aspect separated from said first aspect by a width and located adjacent to a spinal nerve, said method comprising:

(a) applying an electrical stimulus to said first aspect of said bone;

(b) electrically monitoring a muscle myotome associated with said spinal nerve to detect if an onset neuro-muscular response occurs in response to the application of said electrical stimulus to said first aspect of said bone;

(c) automatically increasing the magnitude of the electrical stimulus to until said 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 said onset neuro-muscular response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) involves applying said electrical stimulus from an electrode disposed on the distal end of at least one of a probe and surgical tool.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) involves applying said electrical stimulus as a plurality of electrical stimulus pulses that increase over time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of electrical stimulus pulses comprises current pulses varied incrementally within a range from 0.5 to 32.0 milliamps.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said bone is disposed within one of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar region of the patient'"'"'s spine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said onset neuro-muscular response is an electromyography response from a muscle coupled to said spinal nerve.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) involves electrically monitoring said muscle myotome through the use of an electrode electrically coupled to said muscle myotome.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) involves assessing whether said neuro-muscular response is greater than a predetermined onset level and increasing the electrical stimulus until the determined neuro-muscular response is greater than the predetermined onset level.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) involves visually indicating an intensity level of the onset neuro-muscular response for said spinal nerve via at least one of illuminating lights and illuminating lights of various colors which correspond to predetermined warnings.

10. The method of claim 1 and further, wherein step (d) involves audibly indicating to an operator an intensity level of said onset neuro-muscular response for said spinal nerve via at least one of sounding an alarm if said onset neuro-muscular response is detected at said predetermined intensity level and varying at least one of the volume and frequency of said alarm according to said intensity level needed to evoke said onset neuro-muscular response.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) involves applying said electrical stimulus to a proximal end of a bone screw inserted into said first aspect of said bone.