Patent ID: 8740783
Filing Date: 2014-06-03
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A system for assessing a pathology of a nerve, comprising: a nerve retractor having a nerve contacting portion with a plurality of pressure sensors and at least one stimulation electrode situated on said nerve contacting portion, said at least one stimulation electrode configured to deliver an electrical stimulation signal to a nerve within a patient; at least one sensor configured to detect neuromuscular responses evoked by said stimulation signal; and a processing unit communicatively linked to said pressure sensors and said at least one stimulation electrode and configured to calculate the pressure exerted by said nerve retractor on at least two locations along an outer surface of a nerve; said processing unit further including a display, wherein said display provides pressure mapping data in at least two dimensions based on said calculated pressure exerted on said at least two locations along said outer surface of said nerve.