Patent ID: 8260426

Claim:
A method of treating a medical condition in a patient using an implantable medical device (IMD) having a first electrode coupled to a first cranial nerve structure and a second electrode coupled to a second cranial nerve structure, wherein the first cranial nerve structure is different from the second cranial nerve structure, and wherein the first cranial nerve structure is a left portion of a cranial nerve and the second cranial nerve structure is a right portion of the cranial nerve, the method comprising: delivering a first pulse having a first charge to the first cranial nerve structure, the first pulse configured to induce action potentials in the first cranial nerve structure, wherein the first electrode is configured as a cathode and the second electrode configured as an anode during the first pulse; storing charge accumulated at the IMD during the first pulse; and delivering a second pulse having a second charge to the second cranial nerve structure, the second pulse configured to induce action potentials in the second cranial nerve structure, wherein the first electrode is configured as the anode and the second electrode is configured as the cathode during the second pulse, wherein the charge stored during the first pulse comprises at least a portion of the second charge.