Patent ID: 9014798
Filing Date: 2015-04-21
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for the automated removal of a stimulus artifact from a nerve conduction study (NCS) signal waveform acquired from a patient using a single channel NCS system on the basis of a single stimulation, wherein the novel method comprises the steps of: (1) developing an analytical model of the stimulus artifact based on known physical properties of the NCS stimulus and known impulse responses of the single channel NCS system; (2) using the single channel NCS system to stimulate a nerve and acquire an NCS signal waveform from the patient; (3) determining whether stimulus artifact removal should be attempted for the NCS signal waveform, based on the presence of stimulus artifact in the NCS signal waveform; (4) identifying a time period which can be used to estimate the model parameters, during which the stimulus artifact is present but no signals of interest are present, whereby to define a fit region within the NCS signal waveform; (5) estimating model parameters by numerically fitting the stimulus artifact model to the data within the fit region, wherein the estimation of model parameters comprises numerically fitting the stimulus artifact model to all of the data within the fit region using optimized numerical solvers; (6) determining the goodness-of-fit for the modeled stimulus artifact; (7) subtracting the modeled stimulus artifact from the NCS signal waveform, including the time period when the signal of interest is present so as to create a corrected waveform; and (8) using the corrected waveform to determine nerve conduction characteristics of the patient.