NEURAL LOCATING METHOD

摘要

A method of locating a nerve within an intracorporeal space includes advancing a distal end portion of a stimulator toward an anatomical target within the intracorporeal space, and periodically applying a first electrical stimulus from a first electrode disposed on a central axis of the stimulator. If a muscular response to the first electrical stimulus is detected, a locating electrical stimulus is then applied from a plurality of locations offset from the central axis of the stimulator, and a magnitude of the response of the muscle is monitored. A distance between the nerve and each of the plurality of locations is determined from the magnitude of the muscular response, and from a magnitude of the locating electrical stimulus provided at each of the plurality of locations. The location of the nerve is then triangulated from the determined distance at each of the plurality of locations.

主权项

1. A method of locating a nerve within an intracorporeal space comprising:
advancing a distal end portion of a stimulator toward an anatomical target within the intracorporeal space; periodically applying a first electrical stimulus from a first electrode disposed on a central axis of the stimulator while the stimulator is advancing toward the anatomical target; detecting a response of a muscle innervated by a nerve within the intracorporeal space to the first electrical stimulus; applying a locating electrical stimulus from a plurality of locations offset from the central axis of the stimulator after detecting the response of the muscle to the first electrical stimulus; monitoring a magnitude of the response of the muscle to the locating electrical stimulus at each of the plurality of locations; determining a distance between the nerve and each of the plurality of locations from the magnitude of the response of the muscle to the locating electrical stimulus at each of the plurality of locations, and a magnitude of the locating electrical stimulus provided at each of the plurality of locations; and determining a location of the nerve by triangulating the location from the determined distance at each of the plurality of locations.