Apparatus for use in nerve conduction studies

Claim 1

A hand held fixture for use in nerve conduction studies, said fixture comprising: an elongated body having a first portion, a second portion, an upper edge and a lower edge; a first pair of electrodes mounted on the lower edge of said body adjacent an end of said first portion, one of said electrodes being a reference electrode and the other of said electrodes being a recording electrode; a second pair of electrodes fixed to said body on the lower edge thereof, one of said second pair of electrodes being a cathode and the other of said electrodes of said second pair being an anode, said anode being fixed to said second portion of said body; and adjustment means on said body for adjustably mounting said recording electrode and said cathode with respect to each other so that a distance "1" between the recording electrode and cathode may be changed and fixed for the type of nerve conduction study being performed.

Claim 14

An apparatus for performing nerve sensory fiber conduction studies comprising: an electrode fixture having a reference electrode, a recording electrode, a cathode and an anode, said fixture further including adjustment means thereon for adjustably setting and fixing the distance between said recording electrode and said cathode in accordance with the type of study being performed; a ground electrode; a temperature sensor; a nerve stimulator electrically connected to said cathode and anode; an operator panel including a display; and controller means connected to said reference and recording electrodes, said cathode, said anode, said ground electrode, said temperature sensor, said nerve stimulator and said panel and display for delivering a controlled electrical impulse to said cathode, measuring the response thereto as sensed by the recording electrode and generating an output which represents the amplitude and distal latency of the response.

Claim 15

An apparatus for performing nerve sensory fiber conduction studies comprising: an electrode fixture having a reference electrode, a recording electrode, a cathode and an anode, said fixture further including adjustment means thereon for adjustably setting and fixing the distance between said recording electrode and said cathode in accordance with the type of study being performed; a ground electrode; a temperature sensor; a nerve stimulator electrically connected to said cathode and anode; an operator panel including a display; and controller means connected to said reference and recording electrodes, said cathode, said anode, said ground electrode, said temperature sensor, said nerve stimulator and said panel and display for delivering a controlled electrical impulse to said cathode, measuring the response thereto as sensed by the recording electrode and generating an output which represents the amplitude and distal latency of the response.

Claim 28

An apparatus for performing nerve sensory fiber conduction studies comprising: an electrode fixture having a reference electrode, a recording electrode, a cathode and an anode, said fixture setting the distance between said recording electrode and said cathode; a ground electrode; a temperature sensor; a nerve stimulator electrically connected to said cathode and anode; an operator panel including a display; controller means connected to said reference and recording electrodes, said cathode, said anode, said ground electrode, said temperature sensor, said nerve stimulator and said panel and display for delivering a controlled electrical impulse to said cathode, measuring the response thereto as sensed by the recording electrode and generating an output which represents the amplitude and distal latency of the response, said electrode fixture comprising: an elongated body having ends, said reference and recording electrodes being fixed to said body and said anode and cathode being fixed to said body with the distance "1" between the cathode and recording electrode being predetermined and fixed for the type of nerve conduction study being performed; and a pad, said ground electrode and said temperature sensor being fixed to said pad, said elongated body of said fixture including a first portion hinged to a second portion about a hinge axis and wherein said recording and reference electrodes are mounted on said first portion, said cathode is positioned on said hinge axis and said anode is fixed to said second portion, and wherein said fixture further comprises: a slide movable along said first portion of said fixture elongated body, said recording and reference electrodes being mounted on said slide.

Claim 29

An apparatus for performing nerve sensory fiber conduction studies comprising: an electrode fixture having a reference electrode, a recording electrode, a cathode and an anode, said fixture setting the distance between said recording electrode and said cathode; a ground electrode; a temperature sensor; a nerve stimulator electrically connected to said cathode and anode; an operator panel including a display; controller means connected to said reference and recording electrodes, said cathode, said anode, said ground electrode, said temperature sensor, said nerve stimulator and said panel and display for delivering a controlled electrical impulse to said cathode, measuring the response thereto as sensed by the recording electrode and generating an output which represents the amplitude and distal latency of the response, said electrode fixture comprising: an elongated body having ends, said reference and recording electrodes being fixed to said body and said anode and cathode being fixed to said body with the distance "1" between the cathode and recording electrode being predetermined and fixed for the type of nerve conduction study being performed; and a pad, said ground electrode and said temperature sensor being fixed to said pad, said elongated body of said fixture including a first portion hinged to a second portion about a hinge axis and wherein said recording and reference electrodes are mounted on said first portion, said cathode is positioned on said hinge axis and said anode is fixed to said second portion, and wherein said fixture further comprises: a slide movable along said first portion of said fixture elongated body, said recording and reference electrodes being mounted on said slide.

Claim 30

An apparatus for performing nerve sensory fiber conduction studies comprising: an electrode fixture having a reference electrode, a recording electrode, a cathode and an anode, said fixture setting the distance between said recording electrode and said cathode; a ground electrode; a temperature sensor; a nerve stimulator electrically connected to said cathode and anode; an operator panel including a display; controller mean connected to said reference and recording electrodes, said cathode, said anode, said ground electrode, said temperature sensor, said nerve stimulator and said panel and display for delivering a controlled electrical impulse to said cathode, measuring the response thereto as sensed by the recording electrode and generating an output which represents the amplitude and distal latency of the response, said operator panel including switches labeled for specific nerve conduction studies and said controller means generates a step-by-step procedure on the display for an operator when one of said switches is actuated, an input means connected to said controller means for inputting information on the subject of the study; a storage means for recording and storing said output and said information on the subject, said electrode fixture comprising: an elongated body having ends, said reference and recording electrodes being fixed to said body and said anode and cathode being fixed to said body with the distance "1" between the cathode and recording electrode being fixed for the type of nerve conduction study being performed; and a pad, said ground electrode and said temperature sensor being fixed to said pad, wherein said elongated body of said fixture includes a first portion hinged to a second portion about a hinge axis and wherein said recording and reference electrodes are mounted on said first portion, said cathode is positioned on said hinge axis and said anode is fixed to said second portion, and wherein said fixture further comprises: a slide movable along said first portion of said fixture elongated body, said recording and reference electrodes being mounted on said slide.

Claim 31

An apparatus for performing nerve sensory fiber conduction studies comprising: an electrode fixture having a reference electrode, a recording electrode, a cathode and an anode, said fixture setting the distance between said recording electrode and said cathode; a ground electrode; a temperature sensor; a nerve stimulator electrically connected to said cathode and anode; an operator panel including a display; controller mean connected to said reference and recording electrodes, said cathode, said anode, said ground electrode, said temperature sensor, said nerve stimulator and said panel and display for delivering a controlled electrical impulse to said cathode, measuring the response thereto as sensed by the recording electrode and generating an output which represents the amplitude and distal latency of the response, said operator panel including switches labeled for specific nerve conduction studies and said controller means generates a step-by-step procedure on the display for an operator when one of said switches is actuated, an input means connected to said controller means for inputting information on the subject of the study; a storage means for recording and storing said output and said information on the subject, said electrode fixture comprising: an elongated body having ends, said reference and recording electrodes being fixed to said body and said anode and cathode being fixed to said body with the distance "1" between the cathode and recording electrode being fixed for the type of nerve conduction study being performed; and a pad, said ground electrode and said temperature sensor being fixed to said pad, wherein said elongated body of said fixture includes a first portion hinged to a second portion about a hinge axis and wherein said recording and reference electrodes are mounted on said first portion, said cathode is positioned on said hinge axis and said anode is fixed to said second portion, and wherein said fixture further comprises: a slide movable along said first portion of said fixture elongated body, said recording and reference electrodes being mounted on said slide.

Claim 32

A device for use in nerve conduction studies, said device comprising: an elongated body having a first portion, a second portion, an upper edge and a lower edge; a first pair of electrodes mounted on the lower edge of said body adjacent an end of said first portion, one of said electrodes being a reference electrode and the other of said electrodes being a recording electrode; and a second pair of electrodes fixed to said body on the lower edge thereof, one of said second pair of electrodes being a cathode and the other of said electrodes of said second pair being an anode, said anode being fixed to said second portion of said body, the distance between the cathode and said recording electrode being fixed at a distance predetermined for the type of nerve conduction study being conducted, said first portion and said second portion of said body being hingedly interconnected along a vertical axis and wherein said cathode is fixed to said body at said vertical axis so that the angular position of said anode with respect to said cathode may be changed without changing a distance "1" between said cathode and said recording electrode and a distance "1 2 " between the anode and cathode.

Claim 33

A device for use in nerve conduction studies, said device comprising: an elongated body having a first portion, a second portion, an upper edge and a lower edge; a first pair of electrodes mounted on the lower edge of said body adjacent an end of said first portion, one of said electrodes being a reference electrode and the other of said electrodes being a recording electrode; and a second pair of electrodes fixed to said body on the lower edge thereof, one of said second pair of electrodes being a cathode and the other of said electrodes of said second pair being an anode, said anode being fixed to said second portion of said body, the distance between the cathode and said recording electrode being fixed at a distance predetermined for the type of nerve conduction study being conducted, said first portion and said second portion of said body being hingedly interconnected along a vertical axis and wherein said cathode is fixed to said body at said vertical axis so that the angular position of said anode with respect to said cathode may be changed without changing a distance "1" between said cathode and said recording electrode and a distance "1 2 " between the anode and cathode.