The disclosure describes devices and methods for providing transdermal electrical stimulation therapy to a subject including positioning a stimulator electrode over a glabrous skin surface overlying a palm of the subject and delivering electrical stimulation via a pulse generator transdermally through the glabrous skin surface and to a target nerve or tissue within the hand to stimulate the target nerve or tissue within the hand so that pain felt by the subject is mitigated. The pulses generated during the electrical stimulation therapy may include pulses of two different magnitudes.

The disclosure describes devices and methods for providing transdermal electrical stimulation therapy to a subject including positioning a stimulator electrode over a glabrous skin surface overlying a palm of the subject and delivering electrical stimulation via a pulse generator transdermally through the glabrous skin surface and to a target nerve or tissue within the hand to stimulate the target nerve or tissue within the hand so that pain felt by the subject is mitigated. The pulses generated during the electrical stimulation therapy may include pulses of two different magnitudes.

An exemplary diagnostic system may be configured to direct an acoustic stimulation generator to apply acoustic stimulation to a recipient of a cochlear implant during an insertion procedure in which an electrode lead coupled to the cochlear implant is supposed to be inserted into a cochlea of the recipient, direct the cochlear implant to use an electrode on the electrode lead to record an evoked response signal that occurs within the recipient in response to the acoustic stimulation, detect an anomaly in the evoked response signal, and determine, based on the anomaly, that the electrode lead is being inserted into a vestibular canal instead of into the cochlea.

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.

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.

Communications along a neural pathway are provided. The neural pathway is stimulated at a first location, in order to evoke neural responses which propagate along the neural pathway, the neural responses being modulated with data. At a second location spaced apart from the first location along the neural pathway the evoked neural responses are sensed. The sensed neural responses are then demodulated to retrieve the data. The stimulation could comprise peripheral sensory stimulation, and the second location could be at an implanted electrode array.

Systems and methods are provided for neuro stimulation. In one implementation, a system is provided that includes a stimulator introduced into tissue at a target location and a central controller that communicates wirelessly with the stimulator. The stimulator includes a power system that receives wireless energy transmission, and an electrode system that transmits an electrical pulse for stimulating the target location. The central controller includes a power system that wirelessly delivers power to the stimulator, a communication system that wirelessly communicates with the stimulator, and a processing system that controls the power system and the communication system. The central controller may instruct the stimulator to transmit one or more electrical pulses to the target location to affect an endocrine function (e.g., affect the glucose level of a patient).

A method for performing an efficient and thorough percutaneous discectomy includes making into the patient a percutaneous incision, which is a small stab wound, no more than approximately 10 mm in length. A stimulated combination neuro-monitoring dilating probe is passed through an approximately 10 mm or less skin incision and into a patient's disc space to establish a safe path and trajectory through Kambin's Triangle. Once a neuro-monitoring dilating probe is in the disc space, a second dilator is placed over the neuro-monitoring dilating probe and impacted into the disc space. Neuro-monitoring dilating probe may then be removed. An access portal optionally combined with a force dissipation device may then be placed over the second dilator and into the disc space. The second dilator is removed and then discectomy instruments may be placed through the access portal to perform the discectomy.

A subject can be treated with an alternating electric field (e.g., TTFields) by applying the alternating electric field to a target region, and measuring nerve or muscle activity that is generated by the subject's body in response to the alternating electric field. The course of treatment is then modified based on the measured nerve or muscle activity to reduce or eliminate electrosensation. The nerve or muscle activity can be nerve activity that is measured, e.g., based on an evoked compound action potential (ECAP). In some embodiments, the modification is implemented by adjusting an amplitude or frequency of the alternating electric field. In other embodiments, the modification is implemented by applying an electrical signal to the subject's body, where the electrical signal is configured to reduce electrosensation.

A subject can be treated with an alternating electric field (e.g., TTFields) by applying the alternating electric field to a target region, and measuring nerve or muscle activity that is generated by the subject's body in response to the alternating electric field. The course of treatment is then modified based on the measured nerve or muscle activity to reduce or eliminate electrosensation. The nerve or muscle activity can be nerve activity that is measured, e.g., based on an evoked compound action potential (ECAP). In some embodiments, the modification is implemented by adjusting an amplitude or frequency of the alternating electric field. In other embodiments, the modification is implemented by applying an electrical signal to the subject's body, where the electrical signal is configured to reduce electrosensation.