Active discharge systems and methods

Abstract

To avoid charge accumulation on capacitive connections to implanted electrodes during delivery of stimulation pulses, stimulation pulses are followed by active discharge pulses having opposite polarity of the stimulation pulses. The active discharge pulses preferably have at least one pulse attribute magnitude (e.g., duration, voltage, and/or current) different than a corresponding stimulation pulse and are preferably programmable. Approximately the same total net current flow is delivered during active discharge pulses as during the stimulation pulses, but in the opposite direction and optionally at a lower amplitude. In addition, by reducing the driving voltage and a variable load within the electrical path for delivery of the pulses, power dissipation during active discharge is preferably reduced.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] The present application claims priority to co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 561,437, entitled “PULSE GENERATION CIRCUIT UNIVERSAL CUSTOM OUTPUT DRIVER,” filed Apr. 12, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The present application is related to concurrently filed and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. 03-034] entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRECHARGING CIRCUITRY FOR PULSE GENERATION,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. 03-035] entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING AMPLITUDE SELECTION FOR PULSE GENERATION,” U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. 03-038] entitled “FRACTIONAL VOLTAGE CONVERTER,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. [Attorney Docket No. 03-040] entitled “VOLTAGE LIMITED SYSTEMS AND METHODS,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The present application is...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0005] To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide, for use in an implantable pulse generator, active discharge pulses following stimulation pulses and having opposite polarity of the stimulation pulses as well as programmable amplitude and duration. ...

Problems solved by technology

In delivering constant current electrical stimulation pulses by an implantable pulse generator to electrodes implanted near a stimulation site, capacitive connections of the electrodes to a pulse generator circuit output driver can accumulate charge if balanced pulses are not employed, resulting in skewing the pulses over ...

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