168 results about "Spinal nerve" patented technology

A neurostimulating lead is provided for use in stimulating the spinal chord, spinal nerves, or peripheral nerves or for use in deep brain stimulation that comprises an elongated, flexible lead having improved steerability properties. The lead includes a plurality of thin-film metal electrodes connected by conductors embedded within the wall of the lead to electrical contacts at the proximal end of the lead. The lead is further designed to include an internal lumen for use with a guidewire in an over-the-wire lead placement.

A method of determining relative neuro-muscular response onset value thresholds for a plurality of spinal nerves, comprising: depolarizing a portion of the patient's cauda equina; and measuring the current intensity level at which a neuro-muscular response to the depolarization of the cauda equina is detected in each of the plurality of spinal nerves. A method for detecting the presence of a nerve adjacent the distal end of at least one probe, comprising: determining relative neuro-muscular response onset values for a plurality of spinal nerves; emitting a stimulus pulse from a probe or surgical tool; detecting neuro-muscular responses to the stimulus pulse in each of the plurality of spinal nerves; and concluding that the electrode disposed on the distal end of the at least one probe is positioned adjacent to a first spinal nerve when the neuro-muscular response detected in the first spinal nerve is detected as a current intensity level less than or equal to a corresponding neuro-muscular response onset value of the first spinal nerve.

Devices, systems and methods are provided for accessing and treating anatomies associated with a variety of conditions while minimizing possible complications and side effects. This is achieved by directly neuromodulating a target anatomy associated with the condition while minimizing or excluding undesired neuromodulation of other anatomies. Typically, this involves stimulating portions of neural tissue of the central nervous system, wherein the central nervous system includes the spinal cord and the pairs of nerves along the spinal cord which are known as spinal nerves. In particular, some embodiments of the present invention are used to selectively stimulate portions of the spinal nerves, particularly one or more dorsal root ganglions (DRGs), to treat chronic pain while causing minimal deleterious side effects such as undesired motor responses.

A spinal nerve tissue ablation apparatus includes a stylet needle with a distal end having a rounded blunt tip sufficiently sharp to penetrate tissue but sufficiently blunt to avoid impinging on bony surfaces of spinal vertebra. The apparatus includes an energy delivery device having at least a first electrode and a second electrode. Each electrode has a tissue piercing distal end and is positionable in the stylet as the stylet is advanced through tissue. The first and second electrodes are deployable with curvature from the stylet. The stylet includes rotational means for orienting the first and second electrodes and directing the extension according to the curvature of the electrodes. The stylet further includes an optical imaging module to provide continual progressive feedback of ablation surface development. The apparatus further includes an ultra-wide band radio frequency scanning device capable of accurately determining the location of the electrodes within the spinal structure.

Apparatus and methods for performing spinal disc lesioning procedures while monitoring the temperature near the spinal nerve roots. A needle containing a thermocouple and an injection bore may be placed between the disc and a nerve root. Temperature near the nerve root may be monitored during the lesioning procedure and if raised to a point where damage to the nerve could occur, the procedure may be stopped before damage is done. Coolant may be injected through the injection bore to lower the temperature near the nerve root. Additional dual purpose needles may be placed on the disc adjacent the opposite nerve root or in the spinal canal at the level of the disc for additional control. A hollow, flexible tip electrode needle may be used to repair and lesion the disc tissue. Prior to lesioning, the electrode may be stimulated to assess motor nerve response and avoid motor nerve damage.

A method for treating an ailment of a patient using at least one electrode implanted within a spinal column of the patient at a T4-T6 spinal nerve level. The method comprises increasing an activation threshold of a side-effect exhibiting neural structure relative to the activation threshold of a dorsal column (DC) nerve fiber of the patient, and applying electrical stimulation energy to the DC nerve fiber via the at least one electrode while the activation threshold of the neural structure is increased, thereby treating the ailment while minimizing stimulation of the neural structure. Another method comprises applying electrical stimulation energy to the spinal column of the patient via the plurality of electrodes, thereby generating a medio-lateral electrical field relative to the spinal column of the patient and treating the ailment.

It has been discovered that pain felt in a given region of the body can be treated, not by motor point stimulation of muscle in the local region where pain is felt, but by stimulating muscle spaced from a “nerve of passage” in a region that is superior (i.e., cranial or upstream toward the spinal column) to the region where pain is felt. Spinal nerves such as the intercostal nerves or nerves passing through a nerve plexus, which comprise trunks that divide by divisions and/or cords into branches, comprise “nerves of passage.”

A method and apparatus for treating a condition associated with impaired blood pressure and/or heart rate in a subject comprising applying an electrical treatment signal, wherein the electrical treatment signal is selected to at least partially block nerve impulses, or in some embodiments, to augment nerve impulses. In embodiments, the apparatus provides a first therapy program to provide a downregulating signal to one or more nerves including renal artery, renal nerve, vagus nerve, celiac plexus, a splanchnic nerve, cardiac sympathetic nerves, spinal nerves originating between T10 to L5. In embodiments, the apparatus provides a third therapy program to provide an upregulating signal to one or more nerves including a glossopharyngeal nerve and/or a tissue containing baroreceptors.

The present invention relates to a method for directed cell in-growth and controlled tissue regeneration to prevent post-surgical or post-traumatic adhesion and fibrosis formation on the injured surface of a tissue selected from the group consisting of spinal column tissue, dura mater, and spinal nerves in a mammal, comprising the step of providing, covering and separating the tissue with a bioactive biofunctional, non-porous, microscopically multilayered collagen foil biomatrix, and to a method for treating a defect in a mammal comprising the step of providing, covering and separating said tissue with a bioactive biofunctional, non-porous, microscopically multilayered collagen foil biomatrix.

A method for treating a pulmonary disorder in a subject includes inserting a therapy delivery device into a vessel of the subject, advancing the therapy delivery device to a point adjacent an intraluminal target site of the autonomic nervous system, and activating the therapy delivery device to delivery a therapy signal to the intraluminal target site to treat the pulmonary disorder. The intraluminal target site is in electrical communication with nervous tissue selected from the group consisting of a spinal nerve, a postganglionic fiber of a spinal nerve, a sympathetic chain ganglion, a thoracic sympathetic chain ganglion, a cervical ganglion, a lower cervical ganglion, an inferior cervical ganglion, an intramural ganglion, a splanchnic nerve, an esophageal plexus, a cardiac plexus, a pulmonary plexus, an anterior pulmonary plexus, a posterior pulmonary plexus, a celiac plexus, a hypogastric plexus, an inferior mesenteric ganglion, a celiac ganglion, and a superior mesenteric ganglion.

A method of accessing target tissue adjacent to a spinal nerve of a patient includes the steps of accessing a spine location of the patient by entering the patient through the skin at an access location, inserting a flexible tissue modification device through the access location to the spine location, advancing a distal portion of the first flexible tissue modification device from the spine location to a first exit location, passing through the first exit location and out of the patient, advancing the first or a second flexible tissue modification device through the same access location to the spine location and to a second exit location, and passing through the second exit location and out of the patient.

A vertebral attachment method and system that minimizes or eliminates the risk of severing, compressing, impinging or otherwise injuring the vertebral artery vertebral vein, spinal nerve roots and/or spinal cord. The system includes at least one plate that may be anchored to a posterior region of a vertebra using at least one clamp and fastener. The system may be specifically designed to retain a portion of the posterior region of the vertebra.