Anodic Stimulation in an Implantable Stimulator System Using Asymmetric Anodic and Cathodic Stimulation Pulses

摘要

Recognizing that anodic stimulation may require higher amplitudes or charge than cathodic stimulation in some tissues, new pulsing waveforms for a stimulator device, and particularly useful during monopolar stimulation, are described employing therapeutically-effective anodic and cathodic stimulation pulses at the lead-based electrode(s). The pulses are monophasic, with the amplitude or charge of the anodic monophasic pulses being higher than the cathodic monophasic pulses. To provide charge balance at each electrode, a pulse packet may be defined having a plurality of cathodic monophasic pulses and perhaps only a single anodic monophasic pulse. Because the polarity of cathodic monophasic pulses in each packet may charge balance with the anodic monophasic pulse(s), active charge recovery such as by the use of biphasic pulses may not be necessary, although passive charge recovery can be used if desired.