METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING AN OPERABLE STIMULUS INTENSITY FOR NERVE CONDUCTION TESTING

• Main Authors: KURTZ RONALD L, WU JIANPING
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 09.08.2007
• Subjects: DIAGNOSIS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; SURGERY

The described embodiments relate generally to methods, systems and apparatus for automatic nerve stimulation and for determining an operable stimulus intensity for nerve conduction testing. The method of determining an operable stimulus intensity for nerve conduction testing comprises: repeatedly stimulating a body portion adjacent a nerve at an increasing stimulus intensity; detecting a response potential in response to each stimulation of the body portion; determining a plurality of averaged responses based on the detected response potentials, each averaged response being an average of a set of at least two consecutive response potentials, each set of response potentials having at least one response potential not in another set; determining at least two parameters of each averaged response; determining that a maximal stimulus intensity has been reached when the respective at least two parameters of at least two averaged responses are within a predetermined percentage range; and determining the operable stimulus intensity as a predetermined proportion of the maximal stimulus intensity.