Patent ID: 7532936

Claim:
An implantable pulse generator for generating electrical pulses for stimulation of tissue of a patient, comprising: pulse generating circuitry for generating electrical pulses; a plurality of capacitors for coupling electrical pulses from the pulse generating circuitry for output to the patient; a plurality of electrode output terminals with each electrode output terminals adapted to be electrically connected directly to a respective terminal of a stimulation lead, the plurality of capacitors being disposed between the pulse generating circuitry and the plurality of electrode output terminals; a first programmable switching device disposed between the plurality of capacitors and respective outputs of the pulse generating circuitry; and a second programmable switching device for selectively establishing electrical connections between each capacitor of the plurality of capacitors and one or more electrode output terminals of the plurality of electrode output terminals, wherein (i) the second programmable switching device is disposed between the plurality of capacitors and the plurality of electrode output terminals, (ii) the number of electrode output terminals of the plurality of electrode output terminals is greater than the number of capacitors of the plurality of capacitors, and (iii) the second programmable switching device comprises a plurality of de-multiplexers with the outputs of each de-multiplexer coupled to a respective distinct subset of the plurality of electrode output terminals; wherein at least two of the de-multiplexers of the plurality of de-multiplexers comprise at least one electrode output terminal in common between connections to their respective subsets of electrode output terminals.