Surgical access system and related methods
A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue refraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
1. A system for accessing a surgical target site, comprising:
a retractor assembly having a plurality of blades releasably coupled to a handle assembly, said plurality of blades capable of being advanced simultaneously to said surgical target site while in a closed position and thereafter selectively opened to create a customized operative corridor to said surgical target site;
a stimulation electrode coupled to the retractor assembly;
a patient module;
a cable electrically coupling the stimulation electrode with the patient module;
a sensor harness coupled to the patient module; and
a control unit in communication with the patient module and having a touch screen display, wherein the system is configured to:
send electrical stimulation signals via the stimulation electrode;
sense a response to the electrical stimulation with the sensor harness;
assess the response to the electrical stimulation; and
provide, at the touch screen display, a user interface based on the assessed response.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive a user command over the touch screen display; and
cause activation of the stimulation electrode based on the user command.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the patient module is configured to digitize the response to the electrical stimulation and send data regarding the digitized response to the control unit.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to determine nerve direction relative to the plurality of blades.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein to determine the nerve direction includes to:
assess evoked responses of one or more muscle myotomes.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein to provide the user interface includes to provide a user interface that includes at least one of the following:
a graphical representation of a patient;
myotome levels being monitored;
a name of an instrument being used;
a size of the instrument being used;
a graphical representation of the instrument being used;
a stimulation current being applied;
an instruction to a user; and
an indication of a direction from the instrument to a nerve.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein to provide the user interface includes to provide a user interface that includes at least two of the following:
a graphical representation of a patient;
myotome levels being monitored;
a name of an instrument being used;
a size of the instrument being used;
a graphical representation of the instrument being used;
a stimulation current being applied;
an instruction to a user; and
an indication of a direction from the instrument to a nerve.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein to provide the user interface includes to provide a user interface that includes at least three of the following:
a graphical representation of a patient;
myotome levels being monitored;
a name of an instrument being used;
a size of the instrument being used;
a graphical representation of the instrument being used;
a stimulation current being applied;
an instruction to a user; and
an indication of a direction from the instrument to a nerve.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the retractor assembly includes:
ratchet-like grooves; and
one or more teeth configured to engaged within the ratchet-like grooves in response to manual actuation by a user.