Patent ID: 11937958
Assignee: nan
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. A method for positioning a needle to implant a lead of an electrical stimulator for sacral neuromodulation of a patient, the method comprising:
fluoroscopically visualizing an anterior/posterior view of the sacrum and sacroiliac joints of the patient;
marking on the skin of the patient a midline of the sacrum vertically and a horizontal line from one sacroiliac joint to the other sacroiliac joint;
marking a first point on the horizontal line located a first distance in a first lateral direction from the sacral midline, wherein the first distance approximates a first midline of the desired sacral foramen;
locating the first midline of the desired sacral foramen using the fluoroscopic anterior/posterior view and the first point and marking the skin of the patient with a first midline vertical line;
marking the skin of the patient at a second distance and a third distance from the horizontal line superiorly on the first midline vertical line to approximate the desired foramen location;
marking the skin of the patient with a first medial vertical line representing the approximate medial portion of the first sacral edge using the fluoroscopic anterior/posterior view;
locating the desired sacral foramen with fluoroscopy in a lateral view;
placing the needle through the skin at an angle using the skin markings proximate one of the second and third markings, beginning medially at the first midline vertical line and progressing laterally to the first medial vertical line until a distal end of the needle drops into the desired sacral foramen.