NIR/RED LIGHT FOR LATERAL NEUROPROTECTION

摘要

The use of red or near infrared light upon neurons of the lumbar plexus that are in distress due to retraction-induced ischemia. The surgeon may protect nerves made ischemic in the surgery by:
a) making an incision in a patient,b) inserting an access device into the patient through the incision to at least partially create a path to a spine of the patient, andc) irradiating nervous tissue adjacent the path with an amount of NIR or red light effective to provide neuroprotection.

主权项

1. A method of protecting nerves, comprising the steps of:
a) making an incision in a patient, b) inserting an expandable retractor into the patient through the incision, c) expanding the retractor to at least partially create a path to a spine of the patient and retract nervous tissue, d) irradiating the retracted nervous tissue adjacent the path with an amount of NIR or red light, and e) receiving a message from a neuromonitoring system that provides information concerning the health of the retracted nervous tissue, wherein the expandable retractor is fitted with a detector capable of detecting the health of the retracted nerve.