Systems for tissue stimulation and associated methods

A method for determining tissue type within an anatomical structure, the method comprising:

• positioning a catheter adjacent tissue within the anatomical structure, wherein the catheter includes two or more electrodes disposed at a deformable tip section thereof;
• receiving a request for electrical stimulation of the tissue with the catheter;
• based, at least in part, upon the request for electrical stimulation—
• delivering pulsed electrical energy to a first subset of the two or more electrodes during a first time period, and
• delivering pulsed electrical energy to a second subset of the two or more electrodes during a second time period;
• detecting capture indicative of activation of the tissue by measuring a displacement of the tissue above a threshold following the delivery of the pulsed electrical energy to the first subset and/or the second subset or by measuring cardiac signals synchronized to the pulsed electrical energy delivered to the first subset and/or the second subset with a consistent delay;
• and
• determining that the tissue is nerve tissue if the capture is detected by measuring the displacement above the threshold or that the tissue is cardiac tissue if the capture is detected by measuring the synchronized cardiac signals with the consistent delay,
• wherein—
• the second subset is different from the first subset,
• the second time period does not overlap with the first time period, a time difference between an end of the first time period and a beginning of the second time period is less than a refractory period of the tissue,
• a total duration of the first time period and the second time period is less than or equal to 50 milliseconds, and
• the pulsed electrical energy is sufficient to stimulate nerve tissue proximate the deformable tip section but is insufficient to stimulate cardiac tissue proximate the deformable tip section.