Back to results
US 9,039,630 B2Granted
Method of detecting a sacral nerve
AssigneeInnovative Surgical Solutions, LLC
InventorsStephen Bartol, Christopher Wybo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of detecting the presence of a sacral nerve in a human subject includes providing an electrical stimulus within an intracorporeal treatment area of the human subject; detecting a physical response of at least one of an external sphincter of the bladder and an external sphincter of the anus; and providing an indication to a user if the detected physical response corresponds to the provided electrical stimulus.
Claims21
A method of detecting the presence of a sacral nerve in a human subject, the method comprising:
- providing an electrical stimulus via a distal end portion of an elongate stimulator disposed within an intracorporeal treatment area of the human subject, wherein the electrical stimulus has a magnitude;
- detecting a magnitude of a physical response of at least one of an external sphincter of the subject's bladder and an external sphincter of the subject's anus using a mechanical sensor disposed on an elongate sphincter contraction sensor,
- determining, via a processor in communication with the elongate stimulator and the mechanical sensor, if the physical response was induced by the provided electrical stimulus;
- determining, via the processor, a distance between the distal end portion of the elongate stimulator and the sacral nerve using the magnitude of the provided electrical stimulus and the magnitude of the physical response;
- and
- comparing the determined distance to a threshold;
- providing a first indicator via a display if the physical response was induced by the provided electrical stimulus and the determined distance is less than the threshold;
- and
- providing a second indicator via the display if the physical response was induced by the provided electrical stimulus and the determined distance is greater than the threshold.
6 more elements
A method of detecting the presence of a sacral nerve in a human subject, the method comprising:
- providing an electrical stimulus from the distal end of an elongate stimulator disposed within an intracorporeal treatment area of the human subject;
- generating a mechanomyography output signal using a force sensor disposed within an orifice defined by at least one of an external sphincter of the subject's bladder and an external sphincter of the subject's anus, the mechanomyography output signal corresponding to a contact force of at least one external sphincter of the bladder and the external sphincter of the anus against the force sensor;
- detecting, via a processor in communication with the elongate stimulator and the force sensor, an involuntary contraction of at least one of the external sphincter of the bladder and the external sphincter of the anus using the mechanomyography output signal and an indication of the provided electrical stimulus;
- determining a distance, via the processor, between the distal end of the elongate stimulator and the sacral nerve from a magnitude of the mechanomyography output signal and a magnitude of the provided electrical stimulus;
- providing an indication to a user of the determined distance if an involuntary contraction is detected.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- providing an electrical stimulus from a distal end portion of an elongate stimulator configured to extend within an intracorporeal treatment area of a subject;
- detecting a change in a magnitude of a contact force exerted against an elongate force sensor configured to extend within a natural orifice of the subject;
- determining, via a processor, if the change in the magnitude of the contact force was induced by the provided electrical stimulus;
- determining, via the processor, a distance between the distal end portion of the elongate stimulator and a nerve of the subject using a magnitude of the provided electrical stimulus and the magnitude of the contact force;
- and
- comparing the determined distance to a threshold;
- displaying a first indicator via a display if the detected change in the magnitude of the contact force was caused by the provided electrical stimulus and the determined distance is less than the threshold;
- and
- displaying a second indicator via the display if the detected change in the magnitude of the contact force was caused by the provided electrical stimulus and the determined distance is greater than the threshold.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.