Patent ID: 7110821

Claim:
A method for minimizing channel interaction in a multichannel neural stimulator system, said multichannel neural stimulation system having a multiplicity of electrodes adapted to interface with body tissue or nerves, and means for simultaneously applying a stimulus waveform of a desired intensity to selected ones of the multiplicity of electrodes, the method comprising: (a) applying a stimulus waveform of a known intensity to one of the multiplicity of electrodes; and (b) measuring an interaction waveform appearing at any of the other of the multiplicity of electrodes as a result of the stimulus waveform applied in step (a); (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) for each of the multiplicity of electrodes; (d) creating a channel interaction matrix, [CIM], that defines the interaction waveforms measured in step (b) as a result of the stimulus waveforms, applied in step (a); (e) determining the inverse of the channel interaction matrix, [CIM] −1 , created in step (d); and thereafter (f) using the inverse of the channel interaction matrix, [CIM] −1 , and a desired stimulation waveform matrix, [I D ], to determine the actual stimulation waveforms [I R ] that must be applied in order to produce, after channel interaction, the desired stimulation waveforms.