Probe response signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11478180-B2
Application number	US-201615768460-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 14, 2015
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for simultaneously providing a plurality of probe response signals indicative of electrical activity at a respective plurality of locations in a patient. The apparatus comprises a rigid needle shaft element comprising a piercing tip and a substrate supporting a plurality of electrode tracks, secured to the needle shaft element and extending along the shaft element away from the piercing tip. Each electrode track extends from a sensing end region arranged for providing a respective probe response signal responsive to localised electrical activity, along the region of the substrate, to a respective bond pad connection region. Recording surface regions of the plurality of electrode tracks are spaced apart in a plurality of substantially linear spaced apart configurations along the substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for simultaneously providing a plurality of probe response signals indicative of electrical activity at a respective plurality of locations in a patient, comprising:
a rigid needle shaft element comprising a piercing tip; and
a substrate, supporting a plurality of electrode tracks, secured to the needle shaft element and extending along the needle shaft element away from the piercing tip;
wherein each electrode track extends from a sensing end region arranged for providing a respective probe response signal responsive to localised electrical activity, along a region of the substrate, to a respective bond pad connection region, and recording surface regions of the plurality of electrode tracks are spaced apart in a plurality of substantially linear spaced apart configurations, in an axial direction along the substrate;
wherein each electrode track comprises a zig-zag shaped connection track portion which extends in a nested spaced apart configuration with at least one zig-zag shaped connection track portion of an adjacent electrode track, and the electrode tracks each become progressively narrower in cross-section moving away from the piercing tip.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein in the substrate is formed from a flexible material.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate is bent at least partially around a cylindrical outer surface of the needle shaft element.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate is bonded to an outer surface of the needle shaft element.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
each electrode track comprises a fan out portion that turns away from an imaginary centre line of the substrate and extends towards an edge region of the substrate from a distal end of a respective connection track portion of the electrode track towards a respective bond pad connection.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
each electrode track comprises a sensing track portion that extends from an end of a respective connection track portion of the electrode track and is substantially aligned in a common direction with the end of the respective connection track portion and has a width greater than or less than a width of the end of the respective connection track portion, a terminal end of the sensing track portion comprising the sensing end region.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one reference electrode track including a terminal end portion and at least one reference electrode connection track portion.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the substrate supports at least sixteen distinct spaced apart electrode tracks.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each electrode track comprises a metallic conductive pathway.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 wherein each electrode track comprises a tungsten titanium track.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises an electromyography (EMG) needle.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein a recording surface region of each electrode track is substantially circular and has a diameter of about around 40 to 60 μm.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein:
each recording surface region of the plurality of electrode tracks are spaced apart in a respective one of two substantially linear configurations along the substrate.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a microneurography needle.

15. A method of diagnosing at least one disease in a patient, comprising:
using the apparatus of claim 1 , urging the rigid needle shaft element through the skin of a patient; and
via the plurality of electrode tracks, simultaneously providing a plurality of probe response signals each indicative of electrical activity at a respective one of a plurality of locations in the patient.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
displaying at least one output trace on a display responsive to the probe response signal; and
responsive to the output trace, determining a likelihood of one or more diseases.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
providing a 2-D image of said probe signal in real time.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15 , further comprising:
a) providing an image of a motor unit morphology and/or motor unit stability responsive to the probe signals;
b) simultaneously providing jitter recordings from multiple fibres in a patient at need location site, and/or;
c) simultaneously recording a measured voltage from a plurality of sub locations in the patient at each needle location site.

Assignees

• Univ Newcastle

Inventors

• Whittaker Roger
• O'Neill Anthony
• Baker Stuart
• Hasan Bashar Awwad Shiekh
• Escobedo-Cousin Enrique

Classifications

• A61B18/1477

  Needle-like probes · CPC title

• A61B2018/00839

  Bioelectrical parameters, e.g. ECG, EEG · CPC title

• A61B5/30 Primary

  Input circuits therefor · CPC title

• A61B2018/1425

  Needle · CPC title

• A61B5/296 Primary

  for electromyography [EMG] · CPC title