Patent ID: 7212865
Filing Date: 2007-05-01
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
1. A device for improved nerve stimulation via a percutaneous insulated needle for the performance of therapeutic interventions targeting nerves within living tissue, comprising: a needle electrode which is configured to be used percutaneously and is insulated except at a tip; a return electrode; a pulse generator; a background waveform generator; a switch electrically connected to the pulse generator and the background waveform generator and configured to connect one of the pulse generator and the background waveform generator at a time to the needle electrode and the return electrode; a pulse conditioning circuit electrically connected in series with an electrical path created through tissue between the needle and the return electrodes when the needle electrode and the return electrode are applied to tissue; sensors electrically connected to the needle electrode and the return electrode and configured to detect electrical characteristics of the waveforms generated by the pulse and background waveform generators; and a controller configured for acquiring user parameter choices, for acquiring real-time measurements of the pulse and waveform, for calculating other waveform characteristics from the measurements, for calculating tissue characteristics from the waveform characteristics, and for adjusting parametric characteristics of the pulse generator, the background waveform generator and the conditioning circuit, to produce a desired waveform across the electrodes and to generate various measured and calculated values for the benefit of a practitioner when the needle electrode is advanced into the tissue; wherein the controller is programmed to adjust the parametric characteristics of the pulse and background waveform generators and the conditioning circuit in order to produce a desirable waveform across the electrodes by sampling the electrical characteristics of the waveforms using the sensors.