Patent ID: 8116876

Claim:
A method of selectively providing electrical therapeutic treatment to a patient comprising the steps of: implanting an electrode array having a number of electrodes near electrically excitable tissue of a patient; implanting a pulse generator having a number of output sources in the patient, the pulse generator being separate from the electrode array and the number of output sources being less than the number of electrodes; implanting an extension unit between the electrode array and the pulse generator, the extension unit electrically connects the output sources to a portion of the electrodes, the extension unit containing a controller, at least one switch, and a communications circuit configured to communicate with an external circuit; determining which electrodes are physically positioned to provide optimal therapeutic treatment; and configuring the extension unit through telemetry between the external circuit and the communications circuit to electrically couple the output sources to the electrodes identified in the determining step, the controller controlling the at least one switch to electrically couple the output sources to the electrodes identified in the determining step.