Method and system for determining an operable stimulus intensity for nerve conduction testing

A method of automatic nerve stimulus, comprising:

• a) determining a stimulus intensity at which to provide a stimulus to a body portion adjacent a nerve;
• b) stimulating the body portion with the stimulus at the stimulus intensity;
• c) detecting a response potential of the body portion in response to the stimulus;
• d) reducing the stimulus intensity by a first predetermined amount and repeating steps b) and c);
• e) verifying that the reduced stimulus intensity corresponds to detecting a reduced response potential in response to the reduced stimulus intensity;
• f) increasing the stimulus intensity by a second predetermined amount larger than the first predetermined amount and repeating steps b) and c);
• and
• g) repeating steps d), e), and f until the detected response potential is determined to be a maximal response potential.

Computer readable storage storing computer program instructions which, when executed by a computerized testing apparatus, cause the computerized testing apparatus to perform the method of:

• repeatedly stimulating a body portion adjacent a nerve at an increasing stimulus intensity;
• detecting a response potential in response to each stimulation of the body portion;
• determining a plurality of averaged responses based on the detected response potentials, each averaged response being an average of a set of at least two consecutive response potentials, each set of response potentials having at least one response potential not in another set;
• determining at least two parameters of each averaged response;
• determining that a maximal stimulus intensity has been reached when the respective at least two parameters of at least two averaged responses are within a predetermined range;
• and
• determining the operable stimulus intensity as a predetermined proportion of the maximal stimulus intensity.

A system for determining an operable stimulus intensity for nerve conduction testing, comprising:

• a stimulator for stimulating a body portion adjacent a nerve and detecting a response to stimulation of the body portion;
• a control module for controlling the stimulator;
• and
• memory storing program instructions and accessible by the control module, wherein, when the program instructions are executed by the control module, the control module and stimulator are caused to:
• repeatedly stimulate the body portion at an increasing stimulus intensity;
• detect a response potential in response to each stimulation of the body portion;
• determine a plurality of averaged responses based on the detected response potentials, each averaged response being an average of a set of at least two consecutive response potentials, each set of response potentials having at least one response potential not in another set;
• determine at least two parameters of each averaged response;
• determine that a maximal stimulus intensity has been reached when the respective at least two parameters of at least two averaged responses are within a predetermined range;
• and
• determine the operable stimulus intensity as a predetermined proportion of the maximal stimulus intensity.

A system for automatic nerve stimulus, comprising:

• a stimulator for stimulating a body portion adjacent a nerve and detecting a response to stimulation of the body part;
• a control module for controlling the stimulator;
• and
• memory storing program instructions and accessible by the control module, wherein, when the program instructions are executed by the control module, the control module and stimulator are caused to:
• a) determine a stimulus intensity at which to provide a stimulus to the body portion;
• b) stimulate the body portion with the stimulus at the stimulus intensity;
• c) detect a response potential of the body portion in response to the stimulus;
• d) reduce the stimulus intensity by a first predetermined amount and repeat steps b) and c);
• e) verify that the reduced stimulus intensity corresponds to detecting a reduced response potential in response to the reduced stimulus intensity;
• f) increase the stimulus intensity by a second predetermined amount larger than the first predetermined amount and repeat steps b) and c);
• and
• g) repeat steps d), e), and f until the detected response potential is determined to be a maximal response potential.