Brain retractor apparatus for measuring and predicting electrophysiological parameters
AssigneePharmaco-Kinesis Corporation
InventorsJosh Shachar, Thomas Chen, Leslie Farkas, Winston Wu, Kyle Zimmerman, Moran Cerf, Bruce Marx, David Johnson, Laszlo Farkas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Described is a surgical system for monitoring a patient's condition during surgery. One aspect is a non-contact EEG sensor. The non-contact EEG sensor can be used to predict the onset of physiological disorders. Another aspect includes the use of a plurality of pressure sensors to determine the pressure applied by retractors on the patient, including the brain and other organs.
Claims16
A brain retractor having a plurality of non-contact EEG sensors configured to measure EEG signals and the pressure exerted on a brain during surgical procedures of the brain, the brain retractor comprising:
- a brain surgery retractor blade;
- a plurality of non-contact EEG sensors disposed on said retractor blade, each non-contact EEG sensor configured to provide an indication of electrical signals associated with the patient's brain;
- a plurality of pressure sensors disposed on said retractor blade;
- a temperature sensor disposed on said retractor blade;
- a processor in communication with said non-contact EEG sensors to determine an indication of the EEG of the brain;
- and
- a display in communication with the processor, the display configured to receive information from the processor and provide an indication of the EEG, and
- wherein the non-contact EEG sensors are disposed within the pressure sensors.
A brain retractor configured to monitor a condition of a patient during a surgical procedure on a brain, the brain retractor system comprising:
- a brain surgery retractor blade configured to retract at least a portion of the patient's brain during the surgical procedure;
- a plurality of pressure sensors with continuous output disposed on said retractor blade, each pressure sensor configured to provide an indication of a pressure exerted against said pressure sensor;
- a plurality of EEG sensors disposed within the plurality of pressure sensors:
- a software controlled processor in communication with said pressure sensors to receive signals from said pressure sensors and that processes said signals to provide an indication of the pressure exerted on the brain when the retractor is in use;
- and
- a display screen in communication with the software controlled processor.
A non-contact electrode for measuring the EEG in a patient, the electrode comprising:
- a first non-contact sensing portion configured to sense an indication of a biopotential of a first portion of a patient without contact with the patient;
- a second non-contact sensing portion configured to sense an indication of second biopotential of a second portion of a patient without contact with the patient;
- circuitry configured to use said first indication of a biopotential and said second indication of a biopotential to determine an indication of the EEG in a patient,
- wherein at least one of the non-contact sensing portions is disposed within a pressure sensor.
A method of measuring an EEG signal in a patient without contacting the patient with the EEG sensor while measuring the pressure exerted by a brain retractor, the method comprising:
- locating a non-contact EEG sensor disposed within a pressure sensor proximal a measurement site of a patient;
- sensing signals representative of EEG activity at the measurement site of the patient without contacting the measurement site of the patient with the EEG sensor disposed within the pressure sensor;
- and
- providing an indication of an EEG measurement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.