Patent ID: 6370420
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A device for diagnosing internal disc disruption in an intervertebral disc in a patient's spine comprising:a needle for injecting a contrast media with increasing pressure into the nucleus pulposis of one of the patient's intervertebral discs suspected to be disrupted; a display having a screen; a speaker; a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of the contrast media during injection into the suspected intervertebral disc and transmitting said pressure measurements to said display; a camera for capturing images of the patient's facial expression during said injection and transmitting said images to said display; means for taking x-ray images of the suspected intervertebral disc and transmitting said x-ray images to said display during injection of said media under increasing pressure; and a microphone for capturing the patient's vocalizations and transmitting said vocalizations to said speaker, said device simultaneously displaying at the display said pressure, x-ray images, facial expressions during injection of said media; and a recorder to record said display and vocalizations to define an objective record concerning said suspected disc.