Probe response signals

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.