Multi-application Electrical Stimulator Architecture Dedicated to Waveform Control by Electrode-Tissue Impedance Spectra Monitoring

Nowadays, implanted electrical stimulators are used for many clinical treatments such as deep brain stimulation or retinal stimulation. However, with the electrode-tissue interface impedance shaping, neuroscientists and clinicians are unable to truly verify stimulus waveform efficiency at stimulation targets vicinity. In this paper, we present a multi-application electrical stimulator architecture addressing this issue. This architecture purpose is to predict the stimulus shaping from mono/bipolar impedance spectra measurement and then to adapt the stimulus waveform generation. Since the impedance might change along the implant's life, the impedance measurement module must be embedded with the stimulator. At the end, we present specification requirements to achieve this stimulus adaptation irrespective of the therapeutic application.