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.

An automated system, method, apparatus, device and/or computer program product for detecting positioning effect is set forth, the apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment may include an output operable to couple to one or more stimulating electrodes to stimulate one or more peripheral nerves of the patient, an input operable to couple to one or more recording electrodes to record resultant electrical waveforms generated by a nervous system of a patient in response to the stimulating module, and one or more processors operable to identify the positioning effect based on the resultant electrical waveforms.

Devices and methods are disclosed that treat a medical condition, such as migraine headache, by electrically stimulating a nerve noninvasively, which may be a vagus nerve situated within a patient's neck. Preferred embodiments allow a patient to self-treat his or her condition. Disclosed methods assure that the device is being positioned correctly on the neck and that the amplitude and other parameters of the stimulation actually stimulate the vagus nerve with a therapeutic waveform. Those methods comprise measuring properties of the patient's larynx, pupil diameters, blood flow within an eye, electrodermal activity and/or heart rate variability.

A system for providing energy to a bio-implantable medical device includes an acoustic energy delivery device and a bio-implantable electroacoustical energy converter. The acoustic energy delivery device generates acoustic energy with a multi-dimensional array of transmitting electroacoustical transducers. The acoustic energy is received by one or more receiving electroacoustical transducers in the bio-implantable electroacoustical energy converter. The receiving electroacoustical transducers convert the acoustic energy to electrical energy to power the bio-implantable medical device directly or indirectly. An external alignment system provides lateral and/or angular positioning of an ultrasound energy transmitter over an ultrasound energy receiver. The acoustic energy transmitter alignment system comprises either or both x-y-z plus angular positioning components, and/or a substantially multi-dimensional array of transmitters plus position sensors in both the transmitter and receiver units.

A biochip device, or a system of biochips, providing diagnostic testing, sensing and therapeutic functionality useful in diagnosis and treatment of a variety of physiological maladies.

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.

An implantable device for controlling electrical conditions of body tissue. A feedback sense electrode and a compensation electrode are positioned proximal to the tissue to make electrical contact with the tissue. A feedback amplifier is referenced to ground, and takes as an input a feedback signal from the feedback sense electrode. The output of the feedback amplifier is connected to the compensation electrode. The feedback amplifier thus drives the neural tissue via the compensation electrode in a feedback arrangement which seeks to drive the feedback signal to ground, or other desired electrical value.

Stimulation and recording electrode assemblies that are particularly useful for Automatic Period Stimulation (APS). Such embodiments are compatible with nerve monitoring systems to provide continuous stimulation of a nerve during surgery. Certain embodiments include an electrode assembly having cuff including a body and two ears extending from the body. Within the body, at least one electrode is supported and connected to a lead wire assembly. The ears can be brought together to enlarge a gap in the body so that the electrode assembly can be fixated around a nerve. Other embodiments include an electrode assembly including first and second needle electrodes that each have a tip. A body is provided to interconnect the needle electrodes and can be manipulated to move the tips either toward or away from one another. Disclosed embodiments provide nerve monitoring and stimulation in cases where the nerve is only partially dissected.

An apparatus for stimulating a part of a peripheral nervous system comprises: a sensor unit comprising at least one ultrasound transducer configured to transmit ultrasound into the part of the peripheral nervous system and at least one pair of electrodes configured to detect electrical signals in the part of the peripheral nervous system, wherein the sensor unit is configured to determine structural information and functional information of the part of the peripheral nervous system; a stimulation unit configured to transmit a stimulation signal for selective stimulation of a position within the part of the peripheral nervous system; and a controller configured to receive the structural information and the functional information and configured to control a location of the selective stimulation within the part of the peripheral nervous system based on the structural information and the functional information.

A neurophysiological monitoring system includes at least one surgical instrument having at least one magnetometer and a control unit configured to receive magnetic field data generated by the at least one magnetometer. The control unit may provide stimulation to a nerve at a known stimulation time and receive magnetic field data from the at least one magnetometer indicative of a response to stimulation of the nerve at a receive time. An interpretation of the magnetic field data based upon the receive time and the stimulation time may be generated.