Neural locating system

摘要

A neural monitoring system includes an elongate medical instrument, a non-invasive mechanical sensor, and a processor. The elongate medical instrument has a distal end portion configured to extend within an intracorporeal treatment area of a subject, and a plurality of electrodes disposed on the distal end portion. Each electrode is respectively configured to provide an electrical stimulus. The non-invasive mechanical sensor is configured to be placed in mechanical communication with a muscle of the subject and to generate a mechanomyography output signal corresponding to a sensed mechanical movement of the muscle. The processor is provided in communication with the elongate medical instrument and the mechanical sensor, and is configured to receive the mechanomyography output signal, and determine a relative direction between a nerve and the distal end portion of the elongate medical instrument using the received mechanomyography output signal.

主权项

1. A neural monitoring system comprising:
an elongate medical instrument having a distal end portion configured to extend within an intracorporeal treatment area of a subject, the elongate medical instrument including a plurality of electrodes disposed on the distal end portion, each electrode respectively being configured to provide an electrical stimulus; a non-invasive mechanical sensor configured to be placed in mechanical communication with a muscle of the subject and to generate a mechanomyography output signal corresponding to a sensed mechanical movement of the muscle; and a processor in communication with the elongate medical instrument and the mechanical sensor, and configured to:
provide a respective electrical stimulus to each of the plurality of electrodes, the electrical stimulus having a predetermined current magnitude;receive the mechanomyography output signal; andtriangulate a relative direction between a nerve and the distal end portion of the elongate medical instrument via an amplitude of the received mechanomyography output signal and a current magnitude of each respective electrical stimulus, wherein the nerve innervates the muscle.