Devices, systems, and methods for pacing tissue are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the devices, systems, and methods position a tip section of a catheter adjacent tissue within an anatomical structure. The tip section is attached to a distal end portion of a catheter shaft, has a maximum radial dimension that is larger than a maximum radial dimension of the catheter shaft, and includes a plurality of electrodes spatially distributed about the tip section. The devices, systems, and methods further select one or more groupings of individual ones of the plurality of electrodes and deliver stimulating energy to or through the adjacent tissue via the selected groupings of electrodes. The stimulating energy is sufficient to activate nerve tissue proximate the tip section but is insufficient to ablate the adjacent tissue. In this manner, devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein can be used to locate nerve tissue proximate the tip section.

A method, a computer program and a breathing apparatus relates to determination of at least one physiological parameter including the neuromechanical efficiency [NME] of a patient being mechanically ventilated by the breathing apparatus. This is achieved by obtaining samples of an airway pressure (P.sub.aw), a patient flow (Ø), a change in lung volume (V) caused by the patient flow, and an electrical activity of a respiratory muscle of the patient, during ventilation of the patient at a first level of ventilatory assist and a second and different level of ventilatory assist, and determining the at least one physiological parameter, including NME, from the airway pressure samples, the patient flow samples, the samples of the change in lung volume, and the samples of the electrical activity of the respiratory muscle, obtained at the different levels of ventilatory assist.

Surgical visualization systems and related methods are disclosed herein, e.g., for providing visualization during surgical procedures. Systems and methods herein can be used in a wide range of surgical procedures, including spinal surgeries such as minimally-invasive fusion or discectomy procedures. Systems and methods herein can include various features for enhancing end user experience, improving clinical outcomes, or reducing the invasiveness of a surgery. Exemplary features can include access port integration, hands-free operation, active and/or passive lens cleaning, adjustable camera depth, and many others.

A neuromonitoring system utilizing transcutaneous, trans-abdominal nerve root stimulation to monitor the health and status of the motor neural pathways of the lower extremities during the portions of a surgical procedure in which a tissue retraction assembly is used to maintain an operative corridor.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system for detecting neurotransmitters. A non-limiting example of the system includes a porous electrode. A system can also include a pH sensor attached to the porous electrode, wherein the pH sensor includes a sensing electrode and a reference electrode. The system can also include electronic circuitry in communication with the pH sensor.

The invention relates to reflex therapy. A method includes searching for and determining priority zones of altered receptor activity and associated muscles with impaired reflex activity, making a preliminary diagnosis of a primary zone, selecting indicator muscles and tightening a tendon of the muscle which participates in a step pattern, searching for a primary zone and determining a stimulus of a damaging modality for the primary zone, verifying the correctness of the determination of the primary zone and stimulus therefor, searching for a compensatory zone and determining a stimulus therefor, stimulating the primary zone and the compensatory receptor zone by simultaneously applying stimuli with the provocation of a deep tendon reflex. Technical result: providing accuracy in discovering zones with impaired reflex activity, determining stimuli for any type of mechanoreceptor and nociceptor damage and providing full restoration of muscle reflex activity.

Methods and systems for conditioning a signal indicative of electrosurgical unit activity are described. A hardware circuit acquires AC current from an electrosurgical unit on patient isolated circuitry and conditions the signal in either of two alternate processing methods. The processed signal is routed as input to an analog to digital converter circuit. A method for determining saturation on referential inputs and recovering inputs to an unsaturated state is also described.

A method of imaging nervous tissue, comprising acquiring functional imaging modality data from a functional imaging modality which images an intrabody volume of a patient having a body part, the patient having been injected with an imaging agent having a nervous tissue uptake by an autonomic nervous system (ANS); and locating the nervous tissue in the intrabody volume based on the functional imaging modality data.

A physiologic signal transmission system for an individual includes a physiologic signal transmitter and receiver device. The physiologic transmitter device includes a first receiver configured to obtain sensor signals monitoring physiologic states of the individual; a first processor configured to determine stimulation signals based on the obtained sensor signals, where the stimulation signals encode instructions to modulate functions of a target organ of the individual; and a stimulation device configured to apply the determined stimulation signals to a physiologic system or structure of the individual. The physiologic signal receiver device includes a second receiver configured to receive the stimulation signals from the stimulation device, a second processor configured to decode the encoded instructions from the stimulation signals, and an effector device configured to affect or modulate the function of the target organ based on the decoded instructions to correct or alleviate the monitored physiologic states of the individual.

A system is provided for connecting a surgically implantable neurostimulation device to an neurophysiological monitoring device. The system includes an apparatus connecting the neurophysiological monitoring device to the implanted neurostimulation device. The connecting apparatus includes a port couplable to the neurostimulation device and a plurality of electrode pin connectors extending from the port that are connectable to the neurophysiologic monitoring device. Using the connecting apparatus, signals from the neurophysiologic monitoring device can be transmitted for stimulation and responses can be transmitted to the neurophysiologic monitoring device to enable accurate positioning of electrodes of the neurostimulation device.