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 device and method for controlling a level of ventilatory assist applied to a patient by a mechanical ventilator measures, during patient's assisted breath, an inspiratory volume V.sub.assist produced by both the patient and the mechanical ventilator, an inspiratory volume V.sub.vent contributed by the mechanical ventilator, and an inspiratory assist pressure P.sub.vent produced by the mechanical ventilator. A first relation between pressure P.sub.vent and volume V.sub.assist and a second relation between pressure P.sub.vent and volume V.sub.vent are calculated. Using the first and second relations, a ratio is determined between pressure P.sub.vent at volume V.sub.vent and pressure P.sub.vent at volume V.sub.assist, with volume V.sub.vent equal to volume V.sub.assist, for a plurality of volumes V.sub.vent and V.sub.assist. Values of P.sub.vent are multiplied by the corresponding calculated ratios to calculate a third relation between a predicted inspiratory pressure P.sub.pred and volume V.sub.assist. The mechanical ventilator is responsive to the third relation to control the level of ventilatory assist.

A method of providing vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) to a user is provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) collecting, by one or more sensors monitoring a user, one or more sets of physiological data; (2) determining, by a controller, an occurrence of a physiological event based on the one or more sets of physiological data; (3) stimulating, by a first earpiece worn by a user, a vagus nerve of the user with a VNS signal generated based on the controller determining the occurrence of the physiological event, wherein the VNS signal has an amplitude. The physiological condition may be an anxiety attack. The physiological condition may be a migraine headache.

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.

Systems and methods for forging neural pathways in a user include stimulation and biofeedback devices in electronic communication with a controller. EMG regulated stimulation may be triggered by the controller or by detection of embodied sensory responses from said body inducted by the controller visually or with electrostimulation to induce stress to create a period of heightened plasticity for the user's brain and to induce muscular contractions consistent with a desired movement of a portion of the users' body. Images to create stress or of the desired movement may be provided at an electronic display. Biofeedback may be received, and where determined to be positive, continued or increased stimulation may be provided. Where the biofeedback is determined to be negative, the stimulation may be decreased or stopped. The controller may process embodied sensory input from the user to learn the patient's emotional and physical thresholds.

Provided is a stretchable wiring board including: a base material having stretchability; a wiring line having at least a portion coated and formed on the base material with a conductive stretchable material; and an uneven engaging portion that is electrically connected to the wiring line and has a protrusion or a recess configured to engage with a connection terminal of an external device.

A multi-portal method for treating a subject's spine includes distracting adjacent vertebrae using a distraction instrument positioned at a first entrance along the subject to enlarge an intervertebral space between the adjacent vertebrae. An interbody fusion implant can be delivered into the enlarged intervertebral space. The interbody fusion implant can be positioned directly between vertebral bodies of the adjacent vertebrae while endoscopically viewing the interbody fusion implant using an endoscopic instrument. The patient's spine can be visualized using endoscopic techniques to view, for example, the spine, tissue, instruments, and implants before, during, and after implantation, or the like. The visualization can help a physician throughout the surgical procedure to improve patient outcome.

A method of monitoring depth of muscle relaxation of a patient includes applying a series of stimulations to a nerve of a patient and measuring muscle responses thereto. A maximal stimulus current, a supramaximal stimulus current, and/or a submaximal stimulus current are determined based on the muscle responses, wherein the maximal stimulus current is a current at which a maximal muscle response is produced from stimulating the nerve, the supramaximal stimulus current is greater than or equal to the maximal stimulus current, and the submaximal stimulus current is less than the maximal stimulus current. A first set of stimulations are applied to the nerve of the patient. Either the supramaximal stimulus current or the submaximal stimulus current are then selected for a subsequent series of stimulations based on the measured muscle responses to the first series of stimulations, and the subsequent series of stimulations are performed accordingly to monitor the patient's depth of muscle relation.

A method and system for monitoring neuromuscular blockade in patients during surgical procedures. A stimulator provides stimulation to a nerve of the patient, such as train-of-four (TOF). Following such stimulation, the system and method creates a predicted recovery trend for the patient that is based upon measured recovery trend and a recovery model. The recovery model estimates a recovery trend for the patient based on initial model parameter values. The recovery model creates a predicted recovery trend that is used to estimate a recovery time for the patient. The trend values from the patient are monitored and compared to the predicted trend values throughout the operation as long as the NMT measurement is on. During recovery, the recovery model and recovery time estimates are updated based on the recovery trend being formed from measurements of the patient.

A guidewire, consisting of a flexible biocompatible tube, having a tube distal end, the tube containing an internal lumen and being configured to be inserted into an orifice of a body of a living subject. A planar resilient strip is inserted into the internal lumen, the strip having a strip proximal end and a strip distal end fixed to the tube distal end. A coil spring is fixed to the strip proximal end so that an axis of symmetry of the coil is coplanar with the strip, the coil spring containing a coil lumen. A wire is threaded through the coil lumen and has a termination fixed to the strip distal end, so that pulling on the wire causes the strip and the tube to bend.