A system and method for extracting a cardiac signal from a spinal signal include measuring a spinal signal at one or more electrodes that are connected to a neurostimulator and implanted within a patient's spinal canal and processing the spinal signal to extract the cardiac signal, which includes features that are representative of the patient's cardiac activity. Processing the spinal signal to extract the cardiac signal can include filtering the spinal signal using one or more filters. Model reduction schemes such as independent component analysis can additionally or alternatively be employed to extract the cardiac signal. The extracted cardiac signal can include a number of features that correspond to an electrocardiogram and can be used to determine the patient's heart rate and/or to detect a cardiac anomaly. The determined cardiac features can additionally be used to adjust parameters of the stimulation that is provided by the neurostimulator.

An access device for accessing an intervertebral disc having an outer shield comprising an access shield with a larger diameter (˜16-30 mm) that reaches from the skin down to the facet line, with an inner shield having a second smaller diameter (˜5-12 mm) extending past the access shield and reaches down to the disc level. This combines the benefits of the direct visual microsurgical/mini open approaches and the percutaneous, “ultra-MIS” techniques.

A nerve stimulating apparatus includes a plurality of stimulating units configured to respectively apply stimuli to a plurality of nerve regions branching from a particular nerve region of a living body, and a stimulation timing controller configured to set generating timings of respectively generating the stimuli at the plurality of stimulating units. The stimulation timing controller sets the generating timings of generating the stimuli at the plurality of stimulating units based on response results of the particular nerve region, the response results being obtained in response to the stimuli that are respectively generated at the plurality of stimulating units and that are respectively applied to the plurality of nerve regions, and the response results being measured by a biometric information measuring apparatus that measures biometric information.

Disclosed is a system for monitoring activities of Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) for preventive medicine comprising: a sensing device configured to sense an involuntary control signal from the ANS of a subject in sleep; and an analyzing device configured to analyze the sensed involuntary control signal received from the sensing device to evaluate a dynamic health condition of the subject, and output the evaluated dynamic health condition.

Provided herein are systems and methods for monitoring and treatment of an injury. The system includes a control device, an implantable device and/or a wearable device, the implantable device configured to be implanted into a body, the implantable device having a sensing device for sensing a condition of the injury and a treatment device configured to apply a treatment to the injury based on the sensed conditions of the injury. Signals of the sensed condition are sent to the control device, and the control device controls the treatment device of the implantable device to apply treatment for the injury. When a wearable device is included, the wearable device may be configured to sense another condition related to the injury and send signal indicative thereof to the control device.

A method for facilitating acquisition of a motor evoked potential (MEP) may include facilitating an MEP stimulation sequence to obtain the MEP. The facilitating may include delivering a first stimulation pulse to one or more peripheral nerves of a patient. The method may also include delivering, after the facilitating, the MEP stimulation sequence to one or more cranial nerves of the patient to obtain the MEP. The method may also include determining, based on the MEP, a physiological response has occurred. The method may also include indicating that the physiological response has occurred. The facilitating may reduce an intensity of the train of stimulation pulses of the MEP stimulation sequence, limit movement of the patient to the region of interest during the delivery of the MEP stimulation, and improve an accuracy of determining that the physiological response has occurred.

The present invention relates to a system and methods generally aimed at surgery. More particularly, the present invention is directed at a system and related methods for performing surgical procedures and assessments involving the use of neurophysiology.

A biomagnetism measurement device includes a tubular body, an inflatable portion inflatable upon supply of gas, and a magnetic sensor portion that detects a magnetic field from outside the tubular body. The inflatable portion is located at a required region of the tubular body, and the magnetic sensor portion is fixed to an inner wall of the inflatable portion. The tubular body and the inflatable portion include the same material, and the wall thickness of the inflatable portion is thinner than that of the tubular body.

The invention consists of a device to evaluate hemodynamic response generated by the spinal cord in response to a suprasensorial stimulus applied to a peripheral nerve (medium or posterior tibial) by the use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The device consists of 3 main components, an electrical stimulator, an optical recording unit and a signal processing and control module. The device allows non-invasive, comfortable, harmless, portable, home-based, and low-cost evaluation of changes in local hemodynamic parameters in response to neuronal activation of the spinal cord by electrical stimulation of a peripheral nerve. The invention also includes a corresponding method of using the device and monitoring the spinal function.

A method of determining a local cerebrospinal fluid flow rate. The method including the steps of positioning a distal end of the catheter in a flow of cerebrospinal fluid of the patient, the catheter including an infusion port and at least one temperature sensor positioned at a fixed distance from the infusion port, infusing a bolus of a temperature controlled fluid through the infusion port into the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and monitoring a temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor, wherein a change in the temperature sensed by the at least one temperature sensor over time is representative of a local cerebrospinal fluid flow rate in proximity to the infusion port.