Patent ID: 7809437
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: A61N

Abstract:
1. A method of removing accumulated charge from a plurality of electrodes, said method comprising: applying a plurality of stimulation events to one or more stimulation sites within a patient via said plurality of electrodes, each of said stimulation events comprising one or more biphasic stimulation pulses that each have first and second phases; and globally shorting each of said plurality of electrodes during a plurality of global shorting periods interspersed among said plurality of stimulation events; wherein the stimulation events are not applied to the one or more stimulation sites during each of the global shorting periods; wherein one of said global shorting periods immediately follows each one of said stimulation events; and wherein a duration of each of said global shorting periods is such that only a portion of said accumulated charge is removed from said plurality of electrodes during each of said global shorting periods and such that all of said accumulated charge is removed from said plurality of electrodes after all of said plurality of global shorting periods have occurred.