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.

Provided herein is a method of blocking a nerve or neuron including applying an electrical stimulation to the nerve or neuron, wherein the electrical stimulation is of an intensity that is greater than an excitation threshold of the nerve or neuron for a length of time sufficient to produce a block of nerve conduction or neuron excitation.

Systems and methods are provided for electrical stimulation using electrical neurostimulators to treat neurological disorders. In exemplary implementations, the systems and methods effectuate selective sensory transmission block by spatially and temporally patterned multichannel, closed-loop electrical stimulation of neural tissue across the intervertebral foramina. The systems and methods optimize stimulation parameters according to the conduction velocity of afferents leading to effective neural transmission block. The systems and methods provide a dramatic improvement of selective transmission block, e.g., in a sub-population of unmyelinated C-fibers and slow-conducting Aδ fibers, by combining spatial, frequency and temporal parameters in the disclosed stimulation paradigm. An optimized start and termination of the stimulation may be implemented, as desired, thereby reducing overall energy consumption by reducing the stimulus strength during the maintenance phase of neural transmission block.

Systems and techniques for wireless implantable devices, for example implantable biomedical devices employed for biomodulation. Some embodiments include a biomodulation system including a non-implantable assembly including a source for wireless power transfer and a data communications system, an implantable assembly including a power management module configured to continuously generate one or more operating voltage for the implantable assembly using wireless power transfer from the non-implantable assembly, a control module operably connected to at least one communication channel and at least one stimulation output, the control module including a processor unit to process information sensed via the at least one communication channel and, upon determining a condition exists, to generate an output to trigger the generation of a stimulus.

A therapeutic or diagnostic device comprises a wearable electrodes garment including electrodes disposed to contact skin when the wearable electrodes garment is worn, and an electronic controller operatively connected with the electrodes. The electronic controller is programmed to perform a method including: receiving surface electromyography (EMG) signals via the electrodes and extracting one or more motor unit (MU) action potentials from the surface EMG signals. The method may further include identifying an intended movement based at least on features representing the one or more extracted MU action potentials and delivering functional electrical stimulation (FES) effective to implement the intended movement via the electrodes of the wearable electrodes garment. The method may further include generating a patient performance report based at least on a comparison of features representing the one or more extracted MU action potentials and features representing expected and/or baseline MU action potentials for a known intended movement.

Image-guided navigation for spinal cord treatments and therapies are described. The image-guided navigation is augmented with anatomical measurement data related to spinal cord and vertebral anatomy. From these data and medical image data, an augmented model of spinal cord anatomy is generated and/or navigation data can be generated for localizing spinal cord structures, such as by mapping the anatomical measurement data to the medical image data. The augmented model data and/or navigation data can be used for surgical navigation, stimulation parameter setting, electrode configuration selection, pre-surgical planning, surgical visualization, and so on.

The present disclosure relates to implantable neuromodulation devices and methods of fabrication, and in particular to anatomically contoured spinal cord stimulation leads for high density neural interfaces and methods of microfabricating the stimulation leads. Particularly, aspects are directed to a thin film lead assembly that includes a cable having: a first supporting structure formed of dielectric material, a first set of conductive traces formed on the first supporting structure, a second supporting structure formed of dielectric material, and a second set of conductive traces formed on the second supporting structure. The thin film lead assembly also includes an electrode assembly having: a third supporting structure formed of dielectric material, a first set of electrodes in electrical connection with the first set of conductive traces, and a second set of electrodes in electrical connection with the second set of conductive traces.

A Closed Loop Hybrid Modulation Methodology, including the following four methods of neural stimulation: METHOD 1: A priming electrical signal followed by a second magnetic signal. METHOD 2: A magnetic priming signal followed by a second electrical signal. METHOD 3: A priming magnetic signal followed by a second magnetic signal. METHOD 4: A priming hybrid electric and magnetic signal followed by a second hybrid electric and magnetic signal.

Systems and methods are disclosed to permit a patient to use his external controller to move the location of stimulation in an implantable stimulator system. The external controller can be programmed with a steering algorithm, which prompts the patient to enter certain data regarding their symptoms (e.g., pain), such as pain scores and stimulation coverage. Such data is preferably entered for a plurality of different regions of the patient's body. The algorithm can compute for each body regions a targeting precision value (TP), and from these values determine a steering vector D that suggests a direction and/or a magnitude that stimulation can be moved in the electrode array to more precisely target the patient's pain. The patient may then move the location of the stimulation in accordance with the steering vector using their external controller. The algorithm can be repeated if necessary to again move the stimulation.

Modulation of neural signaling of a pancreas-related sympathetic nerve is capable of improving glycaemic control by inhibiting T cell activation or migration to the pancreas, and hence providing a way of treating or preventing type 1 diabetes.