Evoked Response Audiometry for Anesthesia Depth Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring depth of anesthesia and sensory functioning during general anesthesia are unreliable and often require multiple systems or subjective methods, lacking an effective way to simultaneously assess both anesthesia depth and sensory function.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method utilizing evoked response audiometry, which generates and detects sound stimuli to analyze brainstem response patterns, allowing for the simultaneous monitoring of anesthesia depth and sensory functioning, such as pain pulse transmission, using a sound stimuli generating unit, detection unit, and control unit to analyze evoked neuron responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate systems are used to monitor anesthesia depth and sensory function, then monitoring coverage is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple monitoring functions (anesthesia depth monitoring and sensory function monitoring) into a single integrated system that uses one EEG device to perform both types of monitoring simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate monitoring systems
Solution Approach 2:
The monitoring system is designed to perform multiple functions using a single device - it can monitor both anesthesia depth and sensory function (including spinal cord function) through the same EEG apparatus, making the device universal and multi-functional
2Ease of operation
If subjective methods are used for monitoring sensory function, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces subjective clinical assessment methods with objective electrophysiological measurements using EEG signals, substituting mechanical/subjective evaluation with electrical signal-based objective measurement for sensory function monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the patient's own neural responses (evoked potentials) as the measurement signal, allowing the body's own physiological responses to provide the measurement data needed for objective sensory function assessment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides an objective and reliable method to monitor anesthesia depth and sensory function simultaneously, ensuring proper spinal cord function and reducing the risk of awareness during surgery, while offering a more comprehensive and accurate assessment compared to existing systems.
Implementation Method 1
a sound stimuli generating unit (200) operative to send a sequence of an identical sound stimulus to a subject to evoke neurons response patterns
Implementation Method 2
a detection unit (210) operative to detect a response signal of evoked neurons' response patterns related to each sound stimuli in the sequence
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems for measuring depth of anaesthesia and/or perception of pain comprising using brainstem audiometry are described.