Variable impedance bypass pathway for a tissue stimulating prosthesis
First Claim
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1. An implantable tissue stimulating prosthesis for electrically stimulate a segment of a recipient'"'"'s tissue with a biphasic stimulating current signal, the prosthesis comprising:
- a stimulating contact adapted to be positioned adjacent the tissue segment;
a reference electrode adapted to be positioned separate from the stimulating contact; and
a variable bypass pathway adapted to positioned between the stimulating contact and the reference electrode, wherein the pathway has an impedance to a first polarity of the current signal that is greater than the impedance of the tissue segment, and an impedance to a second polarity of the current signal that is less than the impedance of the tissue segment.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for neural stimulation are disclosed. The principle is that a conventional current path is used to deliver the stimulus to neural structures, but an alternative current path is provided to bypass the neural structures during the opposite polarity part of the current flow. As a consequence, charge balance can be provided at the tissue/electrode interface, while delivering stimuli which are not charge balanced to the neural structures.
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20 Claims
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1. An implantable tissue stimulating prosthesis for electrically stimulate a segment of a recipient'"'"'s tissue with a biphasic stimulating current signal, the prosthesis comprising:
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a stimulating contact adapted to be positioned adjacent the tissue segment; a reference electrode adapted to be positioned separate from the stimulating contact; and a variable bypass pathway adapted to positioned between the stimulating contact and the reference electrode, wherein the pathway has an impedance to a first polarity of the current signal that is greater than the impedance of the tissue segment, and an impedance to a second polarity of the current signal that is less than the impedance of the tissue segment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of electrically stimulating a segment of a recipient'"'"'s tissue with a tissue stimulating prosthesis comprising a stimulating contact adapted to be positioned adjacent the tissue segment, a reference electrode adapted to be positioned separate from the stimulating contact, and a variable bypass pathway disposed between the stimulating contact and reference electrode, the method comprising:
delivering a balanced current signal to the tissue segment, wherein a first polarity of the current signal is conducted from the stimulating contact to the reference electrode substantially though the tissue segment, and wherein a second polarity of the current signal is conducted from the stimulating contact to the reference electrode substantially through the variable bypass pathway so as to substantially bypass the tissue segment. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification