Electromyographic Identification of the Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Using an Integrated Hardware–Software System During Thyroid Surgery

The paper presents a hardware and software complex for monitoring the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) with electromyography (EMG) as the primary tool, observing the RLN’s response to stimulation during intraoperative nerve monitoring (IONM). As a result of the analysis of available IONM tools using EMG, it was found that electromyography is an accurate and safe method for monitoring the bioelectric activity of the vocal cords. The article proposes a concept for monitoring the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) by observing changes in the bioelectric activity of the vocal cords during RLN stimulation. A hardware and software complex was developed in accordance with the concept. The article presents the architecture of the hardware and software of this complex. A detailed description of all hardware parts, their purpose, and their interaction is given. Features of the software and tools used in its development are described. The results of the approval of the complex during thyroid surgery at the VITASANA Medical Center in the city of Ternopil are given. The complex could successfully register and record the change in the biometric potential of the vocal cord at the moment of stimulation of the RLN.