Devices and methods for sensing physiological signals during stimulation therapy

Abstract

Devices and methods provide for the sensing of physiological signals by providing a stimulation waveform that includes a stimulation pulse followed by an active recharge pulse to clear the charge in capacitors within the stimulation path. The active recharge pulse is followed by a period of passive recharge and then a period of no recharge. Non-neurological sources of artifacts within the sensed physiological signal may be handled by providing a brief period of passive recharge followed by a lengthy period of no recharge, which is made possible by the use of the active recharge pulse prior to the passive recharge. The period of no recharge removes any low impedance path to ground from the stimulation electrodes, which allows an amplifier of the sensing circuit to provide common mode rejection of non-neurological signals, such as cardiac signals, present at the sensing electrodes.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.