System and methods for assessing the neuromuscular pathway prior to nerve testing

摘要

The present invention involves a system and methods for assessing the state of the neuromuscular pathway to ensure further nerve tests aimed at detecting at least one of a breach in a pedicle wall, nerve proximity, nerve direction, and nerve pathology, are not conducted when neuromuscular blockade levels may decrease the reliability of the results.

主权项

1. A surgical system for performing nerve testing during at least a portion of a surgical procedure, comprising:
an accessory configured to transmit a stimulation signal to a nerve forming part of a neuromuscular pathway including a muscle myotome associated with the nerve; a sensor configured to detect evoked responses from the muscle myotome; and a control unit coupled to the accessory and the sensor, the control unit being operable to (a) transmit via an accessory a stimulation signal to a nerve forming part of the neuromuscular pathway including a muscle associated with the nerve, (b) monitor the evoked responses from a sensor associated with the muscle, (c) assess the neuromuscular pathway by identifying a relationship between the magnitude of at least two evoked responses, wherein the relationship provides an indication as to a level of a neuromuscular blockade within a patient's body prior to or during said nerve testing, and further wherein said nerve testing includes at least one of static pedicle integrity testing, dynamic pedicle integrity testing, nerve detection during surgical access, and nerve root retraction.