Systems and methods for nerve mapping and monitoring

A nerve mapping and monitoring system comprising:

• a grid array of a plurality of electrodes positioned on a surface of a surgical instrument configured to be inserted into a tissue site of a patient to map locations and proximities of neural structures in the tissue site, wherein:
• each of the plurality of electrodes is configured to be stimulated individually and independently, and
• every one of the plurality of electrodes is configured to be stimulated as part of at least mono-polar, bi-polar, and tri-polar stimulation configurations;
• and
• a computer system configured to cause delivery of sequential variable multi-polar stimulation to electrodes of the grid array of electrodes according to a plurality of stimulation configurations to scan the grid array and elicit evoked potential responses, wherein the plurality of stimulation configurations include at least mono-polar, bi-polar, and tri-polar stimulation configurations of different electrodes of the grid array of electrodes.

A method of nerve mapping and monitoring, the method comprising:

• by one or more processors executing program instructions:
• causing delivery of sequential variable multi-polar stimulation to electrodes of a grid array of electrodes according to a plurality of stimulation configurations to scan the grid array and elicit evoked potential responses, wherein:
• the plurality of stimulation configurations include at least mono-polar, bi-polar, and tri-polar stimulation configurations of different electrodes of the grid array of electrodes,
• electrodes of the grid array are positioned on a surface of a surgical instrument inserted into a tissue site of a patient to map locations and proximities of neural structures in the tissue site,
• each of the plurality of electrodes is configured to be stimulated individually and independently, and
• every one of the plurality of electrodes is configured to be stimulated as part of at least mono-polar, bi-polar, and tri-polar stimulation configurations;
• and
• monitoring the evoked potential responses and combining information gathered based on the evoked potential responses to enable nerve mapping and monitoring.

A method of nerve mapping and monitoring, the method comprising:

• inserting surgical instrument into a tissue site of a patient, wherein the surgical instrument includes a grid array of a plurality of electrodes, wherein each of the plurality of electrodes is configured to be stimulated individually and independently, and wherein every one of the plurality of electrodes is configured to be stimulated as part of at least mono-polar, bi-polar, and tri-polar stimulation configurations;
• causing delivery of sequential variable multi-polar stimulation to electrodes of the grid array of electrodes according to a plurality of stimulation configurations to scan the grid array and elicit evoked potential responses, wherein the plurality of stimulation configurations include at least mono-polar, bi-polar, and tri-polar stimulation configurations of different electrodes of the grid array of electrodes;
• and
• monitoring the evoked potential responses and combining information gathered based on the evoked potential responses to enable nerve mapping and monitoring.