Summary: Module 3: Conclusion/Significance of Work
This protocol will first attempt to reproduce the methodology of Redferan et al. Then, after lead implantation, the lead will be connected to a Pruka 3 for ten minutes to collect data with time. Ten minutes was chosen in order to replicate the work done by Redfearn et al , and because it will be ample time to collect meaningful data yet should not disrupt the patient or the surgeon. The data will be saved to disk and analyzed accordingly. Data analysis will consist of trying various filtering techniques to “filter out” the current of injury. This filtering is not a small task, and its implication will be mammoth; the implanting physician and Medtronic representative will know definitively if the R-wave is acceptable, allowing for immediate satisfactory lead placement and eliminating the chance that a patient’s lead may need repositioning a day or so after the initial implant surgery. There are always patient risks (infection) with any surgery, so achieving an accurate R-wave initially removes patient risk due to complications from a second surgery. As a result, patient recovery time will be decreased, leading to increased quality of life. A follow-up paper will discuss protocol execution, results, and discussion.