A MAGNETIC NEURAL STIMULATOR FOR NEUROPHYSIOLOGY

CORTEKS, INC. PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A COMPACT, MODERATELY PRICED, MAGNETIC NEURAL STIMULATOR FOR NEUROPHYSIOLOGY. THEDEVICE WILL OVERCOME SEVERAL LIMITATIONS INHERENT TO ELECTRICAL STIMULATION. BY PERMITTING PAIN-FREE, NONINVASIVE STIMULATION OF DEEP-LYING PERIPHERAL NERVES AND SPINAL ROOTS, AS WELL AS FACILITATING CERTAIN SOMATOSENSORY EVOKED POTENTIAL STUDIES, THIS DEVICE WILL SUBSTANTIALLY EXPAND THE SCOPE OF CLINICAL NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL TESTING. INADDITION, THE DEVICE WILL BE CAPABLE OF TRANSCRANIAL CORTICAL STIMULATION, ALLOWING THE EVALUATION OF DESCENDING MOTOR PATHWAYS. IN PHASE I, A PROTOTYPE NEURAL STIMULATOR WILL BE CONSTRUCTED, INCORPORATING SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS OVER PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED DESIGNS. IT WILL BE USED TO EXPERIMENTALLY DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL RANGES OF CERTAIN MAGNETIC PULSE PARAMETERS FOR STIMULATION OF NEURAL TISSUE. IN PHASE II, AN OPTIMIZED STIMULATOR DESIGNED USING PHASE I RESULTS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND FULLY TESTED. CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING TRANSCRANIAL CORTICAL STIMULATION WILL BE ADDRESSED.