Method and apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency between a first and second contact position on a user, comprising:

• (a) means for generating a voltage pulse at a first contact position of said user at a selected time, wherein said voltage pulse is of sufficient amplitude to activate a nerve pathway underlying said first and second contact positions;
• (b) means for measuring the time interval between generation of the voltage pulse at said first contact position and the nerve response to said voltage pulse at said second contact position;
• and
• (c) means for displaying the time interval received from said means for measuring.

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency, such as that which is symptomatic of carpal tunnel syndrome, comprising:

• (a) a power source;
• (b) a stimulator circuit configured for coupling to a first electrode at a first contact position on the skin of the user and for generating an electrical stimulus pulse from said power source at a selectable time;
• (c) a sense circuit configured for coupling to a second electrode at a second contact position on the skin of the user and for detecting the nerve response associated with the electrical pulse generated by the stimulator circuit as it arrives proximal to said second contact position;
• (d) a counter circuit configured for recording the time interval between the generation of the electrical stimulus pulse by the stimulator circuit and detection of the arrival of the electrical stimulus pulse by the sense circuit, said counter circuit operatively coupled to an oscillator, wherein said counter circuit begins counting pulses from said oscillator upon generation of said electrical stimulus pulse at said first contact position, and wherein said counter circuit terminates counting said pulses from said oscillator upon arrival of the nerve response proximal to said second contact position, wherein the resulting pulse count represents said time interval;
• and
• (e) a display circuit operatively coupled to said counter circuit and configured for displaying the time interval as recorded by said counter circuit.

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency between a first and second location on a user, comprising:

• (a) a stimulator configured for epidermal contact with said user at said first location and for generating periodic voltage pulses of sufficient amplitude to stimulate a nerve for conduction to said second location;
• (b) a detector configured for epidermal contact with the user at said second location and for detecting the stimulation of said nerve in response to a pulse from said stimulator;
• (c) a timer circuit configured for registering, as a pulse count value, an elapsed time interval between the generation of the voltage pulse at said first location and the detection of the nerve response at said second location, wherein the time interval commences with activation of the stimulator and ends with detection of nerve response at said second location,
• (d) a display decoder configured for converting the registered pulse count from said timer circuit to a decimal value for display;
• and
• (e) a display configured for visually displaying said decimal value as received from said display decoder.

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency between a first and second contact position on a user, comprising:

• (a) means for generating a voltage pulse at said first contact position of said user at a selected time, wherein said voltage pulse is of sufficient amplitude to activate a nerve pathway underlying said first and second contact positions;
• (b) a counter circuit operatively coupled to an oscillator, wherein the counter circuit begins counting pulses from the oscillator upon generation of said voltage pulse at said first contact position, and wherein the counter circuit terminates counting pulses at a pulse count value upon arrival of the nerve response at said second contact position, said pulse count value representing the time interval between generation of said voltage pulse at said first contact position and the nerve response to said voltage pulse at said second contact position;
• and
• (c) means for displaying said time interval.

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency between a first and second contact position on a user, comprising:

• (a) means for generating a voltage pulse at said first contact position of said user at a selected time, wherein said voltage pulse is of sufficient amplitude to activate a nerve pathway underlying said first and second contact positions;
• (b) elapsed time measuring means for measuring the time interval between generation of the voltage pulse at said first contact position and the nerve response to said voltage pulse at said second contact position, and for generating a pulse count value representing said time interval;
• (c) a decoder circuit configured for decoding a pulse count value received from said elapsed time measuring means;
• and
• (d) a display device configured for displaying elapsed time represented by a decoded pulse count value received from the decoder circuit.

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency, such as that which is symptomatic of carpal tunnel syndrome, comprising:

• (a) a power source comprising a single battery;
• (b) a stimulator circuit configured for coupling to a first electrode at a first contact position on the skin of the user and for generating an electrical pulse from said power source at a selectable time;
• (c) a sense circuit configured for coupling to a second electrode at a second contact position on the skin of the user and for detecting the nerve response associated with the electrical pulse generated by the stimulator circuit as it arrives proximal to said second contact position;
• (d) a timer circuit configured for recording the time interval between the generation of the electrical pulse by the stimulator circuit and the arrival of the pulse response within the sense circuit;
• (e) a display circuit operatively coupled to said timer and configured for displaying the time interval as recorded by the timer circuit;
• and
• (f) voltage regulation circuitry coupled to said power source and configured for generating intermediate voltages for use within said circuits.

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency, such as that which is symptomatic of carpal tunnel syndrome, comprising:

• (a) a power source;
• (b) a stimulator circuit configured for coupling to a first electrode at a first contact position on the skin of the user and for generating an electrical pulse from said power source at a selectable time;
• (c) a sense circuit configured for coupling to a second electrode at a second contact position on the skin of the user and for detecting the nerve response associated with the electrical pulse generated by the stimulator circuit as it arrives proximal to said second contact position;
• (d) a timer circuit configured for recording the time interval between the generation of the electrical pulse by the stimulator circuit and the arrival of the pulse response within the sense circuit;
• and
• (e) a display circuit operatively coupled to said timer and configured for displaying the time interval as recorded by the timer circuit;
• (f) wherein the stimulator circuit converts voltage provided by the power source to a sufficiently high voltage that said pulse can be properly coupled to the nerves within a nearby nerve pathway and registered by the sense circuit.

An apparatus for self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency, such as that which is symptomatic of carpal tunnel syndrome, comprising:

• (a) a power source,
• (b) a stimulator circuit configured for coupling to a first electrode at a first contact position on the skin of the user and for generating an electrical stimulus pulse from said power source at a selectable time;
• (c) a sense circuit configured for coupling to a second electrode at a second contact position on the skin of the user and for detecting the nerve response associated with the electrical stimulus pulse generated by the stimulator circuit as it arrives proximal to said second contact position;
• (d) a timer circuit configured for recording the time interval between the generation of the electrical stimulus pulse by the stimulator circuit and detection of the arrival of said electrical stimulus pulse by the sense circuit;
• and
• (e) a display circuit operatively coupled to said timer and configured for displaying the time interval as recorded by the timer circuit;
• (f) wherein the timer circuit comprises a counter circuit configured to receive periodic pulses from an oscillator which modify a count value, the count value being loaded into the display circuit in response to detection of the arrival of the electrical stimulus pulse by said sense circuit, and wherein said counter is reset upon generation of a subsequent electrical stimulus pulse.

A method of user self-diagnostic evaluation of nerve sensory latency along a nerve pathway between a first and second position on a user, comprising:

• generating periodic stimulus pulses at a sufficiently high voltage level so as to be operatively coupled to said nerve pathway at a first position on the epidermis of the user;
• detecting the arrival of a nerve response to each stimulus pulse at a second position on the epidermis of the user;
• measuring the time interval for nerve conduction to occur between stimulus pulse transmittal at said first position and nerve response arrival at said second position;
• and
• updating a display with the measured time interval for nerve conduction;
• wherein the high voltage of the stimulus pulses is generated by charge pumping the voltage onto a capacitor connected with a transformer.