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

Claim 0:
1. A method during a spinal surgical procedure, said method comprising the steps of:
adhering a cathode surface electrode to skin of a patient at a posterior location of the patient that is over the patient's conus medullaris at spinal level L1-2 and superior to a surgical target site;
adhering an anode surface electrode to skin of the patient at an anterior location of the patient proximate the patient's anterior abdominal midline and that is superior to the surgical target site, wherein after the cathode surface electrode and the anode surface electrode have been adhered, the anode surface electrode has a larger surface area in contact with the patient's skin than the cathode surface electrode;
delivering, periodically during the spinal surgical procedure, a first transcutaneous, transabdominal stimulation signal to lumbar motor neural pathways from the cathode electrode to the anode electrode;
processing response signals received by one or more electrodes located inferior to the surgical target site in response to the first transcutaneous, transabdominal stimulation signal, thereby determining a first neuromuscular response data set;
after determining the first neuromuscular response data set, establishing an operative corridor to the surgical target site along a lateral, trans-psoas path; and
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.