Patent ID: 7917201

Claim:
A method for detecting a bioelectrical signal over a selected muscle or sensory nerve of a patient, the method comprising: providing a diagnostic biosensor array of fixed geometry comprising: a body having thereon a physical reference point; a stimulation electrode for applying an electrical stimulus to a patient, the stimulation electrode being mounted to the body in a first fixed relation to the physical reference point; and a detection electrode for detecting a bioelectric potential generated by the patient in response to the electrical stimulus applied by the stimulation electrode, the detection electrode being mounted to the body in a second fixed relation to the physical reference point; wherein the second fixed relation to the physical reference point is determined by previously conducting electrophysiological mapping in a plurality of test subjects using a mapping biosensor array to build the diagnostic biosensor array, the mapping biosensor array having a mapping array body having thereon a stimulation electrode and detection electrodes comprising a matrix of independently readable sensor cells which can be placed on a patient's body, and having thereon a physical reference point in the periphery of the mapping array body from which physical placement of the diagnostic biosensor array physical reference point is optimized for a specific location and a specific response; the mapping array body having independently read the mounted signals detected at each of the sensor cells and having determined the cell(s) which detected the highest biopotential signals; whereby the diagnostic biosensor array is built as a result of previously using the mapping biosensor array; positioning the diagnostic biosensor array on a patient so that the diagnostic biosensor array reference point is positioned relative to a known anatomical landmark; applying an electrical stimulus to the patient; and measuring an evoked bioelectrical response in response to the electrical stimulus applied by the diagnostic biosensor array stimulation electrode.