Methods and systems for removing accumulated charge from one or more electrodes

• US 20080114405A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics LLC (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Palmer, Logan P., Mishra, Lakshmi N., Faltys, Mike A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,809,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting

Abstract

Methods of removing accumulated charge from one or more electrodes include applying a plurality of stimulation events to one or more stimulation sites within a patient via the one or more electrodes and globally shorting each of the electrodes during a plurality of global shorting periods interspersed among the plurality of stimulation events. Systems for removing accumulated charge from one or more electrodes include a stimulator electrically coupled to the one or more electrodes and configured to apply a plurality of stimulation events to one or more stimulation sites within a patient via the one or more electrodes. The stimulator is further configured to globally short each of the electrodes during a plurality of global shorting periods interspersed among the plurality of stimulation events.

Claims

1. A method of removing accumulated charge from one or more electrodes, said method comprising:

applying a plurality of stimulation events to one or more stimulation sites within a patient via said one or more electrodes; and

globally shorting each of said electrodes during a plurality of global shorting periods interspersed among said plurality of stimulation events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said global shorting periods immediately follows each stimulation event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said global shorting periods immediately follows a stimulation frame, wherein said stimulation frame includes a predetermined number of said stimulation events.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of stimulation events comprises one or more biphasic stimulation pulses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a duration of each of said global shorting periods is such that only a portion of said accumulated charge is removed from said one or more electrodes during each global shorting period.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said duration of each of said global shorting periods is such that all of said accumulated charge is removed from said one or more electrodes after all of said plurality of global shorting periods have occurred.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of globally shorting each of said electrodes during said plurality of said global shorting periods comprises connecting each of said electrodes to ground or a reference electrode during said global shorting periods.

8. A system comprising:

one or more electrodes; and

a stimulator electrically coupled to said electrodes and configured to apply a plurality of stimulation events to one or more stimulation sites within a patient via said one or more electrodes;

wherein said stimulator is further configured to globally short each of said electrodes during a plurality of global shorting periods interspersed among said plurality of stimulation events.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said stimulator is further configured to cause one of said global shorting periods to immediately follow each stimulation event.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said stimulator is further configured to cause one of said global shorting periods to immediately follow a stimulation frame, wherein said stimulation frame includes a predetermined number of said stimulation events.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein each of stimulation events comprises one or more biphasic stimulation pulses.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein a duration of each of said global shorting periods is such that only a portion of charge accumulated on said one or more electrodes is removed therefrom during each global shorting period.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said duration of each of said global shorting periods is such that all of said accumulated charge is removed from said one or more electrodes after all of said plurality of global shorting periods have occurred.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said stimulator is configured to globally short each of said electrodes during said plurality of said global shorting periods by connecting each of said electrodes to ground or a reference electrode during said global shorting periods.

15. An implantable stimulator comprising:

electrical circuitry configured to apply a plurality of stimulation events to one or more stimulation sites within a patient via one or more electrodes;

one or more switching elements electrically coupled to each of said electrodes; and

a processor configured to control each of said switching elements;

wherein said processor is further configured to cause each of said switching elements to globally short each of said electrodes during a plurality of global shorting periods interspersed among said plurality of stimulation events.

16. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said processor is further configured to cause one of said global shorting periods to immediately follow each stimulation event.

17. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said processor is further configured to cause one of said global shorting periods to immediately follow a stimulation frame, wherein said stimulation frame includes a predetermined number of said stimulation events.

18. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein a duration of each of said global shorting periods is such that only a portion of charge accumulated on said one or more electrodes is removed therefrom during each global shorting period.

19. The stimulator of claim 18, wherein said duration of each of said global shorting periods is such that all of said accumulated charge is removed from said one or more electrodes after all of said plurality of global shorting periods have occurred.

20. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said switching elements are configured to electrically couple each of said electrodes to ground or to a reference electrode during said global shorting periods.