Monitoring nerve activity
AssigneeNeuroMedic, Inc.
InventorsHarry A. Puryear, Jin Shimada
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods provide interface to a patient's autonomic nerves via an interior lumen wall of a blood vessel. Systems can include a probe having at least one electrode for receiving electrical signals from the interior of the lumen wall. The system can include processing components for extracting the signals from noise within the patient's body. Systems can include stimulation electrodes for providing stimulation and eliciting action potentials within the patient and destructive processes for destroying nervous function. The effect of nerve destruction on the propagation of action potentials can be effectively used as a feedback mechanism for determining the amount of nervous function destruction in the patient.
Claims27
(canceled)
A method for evaluating a function of one or more nerves proximate a body feature in a patient's body, the method comprising:
- applying a first electrical stimulus to the body feature via at least one stimulating electrode that is in electrical contact with the body feature, the first electrical stimulus being sufficient to provoke an elicited potential in at least one of the one or more nerves;
- following the application of the first electrical stimulus, detecting a first signal corresponding to the elicited potential in the one or more nerves via at least one recording electrode that is in electrical contact with the body feature;
- adjusting a capacitance of the electronic circuitry to amplify or attenuate the detected signal based on its frequency content;
- recording the first detected signal;
- applying a second electrical stimulus to the body feature via the at least one stimulating electrode;
- detecting a second signal via the at least one recording electrode following the application of the second electrical stimulus;
- and
- determining a change in nerve activity based on a difference between the second detected signal and the first detected signal.
A system for intravascular assessment of autonomic nervous activity comprising:
- a recording electrode capable of detecting one or more electrical signals from a body feature;
- and
- electronic circuitry in electrical communication with the electrode and capable of:
- adjusting a capacitance in the system to amplify or attenuate a detected signal based on its frequency content;
- receiving an electrical signal from the recording electrode;
- processing the received electrical signal to produce an output signal;
- and
- presenting information including at least one of:
- the output signal, characteristics of the received electrical signal, processing steps performed in the processing of the received signal, or results of the processing steps.
A system for intravascular assessment of autonomic nervous activity comprising:
- an electrode capable of detecting one or more electrical signals from an interior wall of a body feature;
- and
- electronic circuitry in electrical communication with the electrode, the electronic circuitry including an adjustable capacitance, wherein the capacitance can be adjusted to enable detection of potentials in autonomic nerves.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.