Patent ID: 8419653

Claim:
A device for detecting if neural tissue is above or below a given region of a device, the device comprising: a probe having a proximal rigid elongate shaft and a distal end, the distal end being flexible such that it may be articulated to form more than one curved shape and the distal end being substantially flat and having an axial length, a width, and a thickness, wherein the axial length is greater than the width and the width is greater than the thickness, the distal end further having a first upper and second lower laterally oriented surfaces, wherein the upper surface is opposite and separated by the thickness from the lower surface; a first signal transmitter configured to deliver a neural localization signal disposed along the first upper surface of the probe; a second signal transmitter configured to deliver a neural localization signal disposed along the second lower surface of the probe, wherein by monitoring a response to the neural localization signals from the first upper surface and the second lower surface, the orientation of the neural tissue relative to the upper surface and the lower surface of the probe can be safely verified.