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.