Patent ID: 11877860
Assignee: NUVASIVE, INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 11:
12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for use during a spinal surgical procedure of a patient, comprising instructions stored thereon, that when executed on a processor, perform the steps of:
providing, at a display, graphical information regarding a transcutaneous nerve root stimulation functional mode showing an image of a human body showing electrode placement on the human body with:
a first electrode at the back of the human body at spinal level L1-2 superior to a target surgical site; and
a second electrode at a front of the human body over the human body's anterior abdominal midline;
periodically during the spinal surgical procedure, causing delivery, from a cathode electrode corresponding to the first electrode to an anode electrode corresponding to the second electrode, a first and second transcutaneous, trans-abdominal stimulation signals to lumbar motor neural pathways prior to establishing an operative corridor to a surgical target site of the patient along a lateral, trans-psoas path;
processing response signals received by at least one electrode located inferior to the surgical target site in response to the first transcutaneous, transabdominal stimulation signal, thereby determining a first neuromuscular response data set;
monitoring changes to health of one or more nerves during the spinal surgical procedure by detecting changes to stimulation threshold intensities of the one or more nerves using the first neuromuscular response data set;
recording, by the at least one electrode located inferior to the surgical target site, first and second responses to said first and second stimulation signals of a muscle located inferior to said surgical target site;
receiving said first and second responses in a control unit, said control unit toggleable between an alert testing mode and a threshold testing mode;
automatically evaluating, by the control unit, the recorded first and second responses for at least one of:
a presence and absence of said second response while operating in said alert testing mode; and
changes, over time, to stimulation signal intensity of said first and second transcutaneous, trans-abdominal stimulation signals required to elicit said first and second responses while operating in said threshold testing mode; and converting said evaluated first and second responses to a health status of neural structures of the patient for display to a user, wherein said health status, when operating in said alert testing mode, provides a first display view when said presence of said second response is found and a second display view when said absence of said second response is found, and wherein said health status, when operating in said threshold testing mode, provides a third display view when the difference between said stimulation signal intensity of said first and second transcutaneous, trans-abdominal stimulation signals are within a pre-determined amount, and a fourth display view when the difference between said stimulation signal intensity of said first and second transcutaneous, trans-abdominal stimulation signals are not within said pre-determined amount.