Apparatus, System, and Method for Mapping the Location of a Nerve

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for mapping the location of a nerve. The apparatus includes at least one stimulation module, a stimulation detection module, a distance module, and a mapping module. The stimulation module stimulates a nerve with an electrical stimulation current from at least one stimulation electrode. A stimulation detection module detects a muscle reaction resulting from stimulation of the nerve by the at least one stimulation electrode. The distance module uses information from the at least one stimulation electrode and from the stimulation detection module to calculate a distance between the at least one stimulation electrode and the nerve. The mapping module maps a location on the nerve using at least two distances calculated by the distance module and position information of the at least one stimulation electrode for each of the at least two distances calculated.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus configured to visually display a location of a nerve in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
 a control module configured to:
 determine a first locus of potential sites of the nerve equidistant from a first position on the patient when a first stimulation electrode stimulates the nerve; 
 determine a second locus of potential sites of the nerve equidistant from a second position on the patient when a second stimulation electrode stimulates the nerve, wherein the second position is different from the first position; and 
 determine an intersection of the first locus of potential sites of the nerve and the second locus of potential sites of the nerve to identify the location of the nerve; 
   an imaging module configured to acquire an image of the patient's anatomy; and   an overlay module configured to visually overlay a map of the location of the nerve on the image of the patient's anatomy.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the control module is configured to provide electrical current from an electrical source to each of the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the control module further comprises an electrode positioning module configured to position each of the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first locus or second locus is spherical. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode are different. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode are the same. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the control module is further configured to determine a third locus of potential sites of the nerve equidistant from a third position on the patient when a third stimulation electrode stimulates the nerve and determine an intersection of the third locus of potential sites of the nerve with at least one of the first locus of the potential sites or the second locus of potential sites of the nerve to identify the location of the nerve. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first stimulation electrode, the second stimulation electrode, and the third stimulation electrode are different. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the first stimulation electrode, the second stimulation electrode, and the third stimulation electrode are the same. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the third position is different from the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         31 . A method for visually displaying a location of a nerve in a patient using an apparatus having a control module, an imaging module, and an overlay module, the method comprising
 using the control module, determining a first locus of potential sites of the nerve equidistant from a first position on the patient when a first stimulation electrode stimulates the nerve;   using the control module, determine a second locus of potential sites of the nerve equidistant from a second position on the patient when a second stimulation electrode stimulates the nerve, wherein the second position is different from the first position;   using the control module, determining an intersection of the first locus of potential sites of the nerve and the second locus of potential sites of the nerve to identify the location of the nerve;   using the imaging module, acquire an image of the patient's anatomy; and   using the overlay module, visually overlay a map of the location of the nerve on the image of the patient's anatomy.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising, using the control module, providing electrical current from an electrical source to each of the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising, using the electrode positioning module positioning each of the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first locus or second locus is spherical. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode are different. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the first stimulation electrode and the second stimulation electrode are the same. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising, using the control module, determining a third locus of potential sites of the nerve equidistant from a third position on the patient when a third stimulation electrode stimulates the nerve. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising, using the control module, determining an intersection of the third locus of potential sites of the nerve with at least one of the first locus of the potential sites or the second locus of potential sites of the nerve to identify the location of the nerve. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first stimulation electrode, the second stimulation electrode, and the third stimulation electrode are different. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the first stimulation electrode, the second stimulation electrode, and the third stimulation electrode are the same.