Implantable medical device including self-bootstrapped therapy pulse output circuit switches

An implantable medical device for delivering one or more therapy pulses to a patient, comprising:

• a therapy energy supply circuit configured to store and supply electrical energy;
• a control circuit configured to supply drive commands;
• one or more semiconductor switches adapted to receive electrical energy from an electrical energy source, each semiconductor switch coupled to receive one or more switch-on and switch-off commands, the switch-on and switch-off commands each having a voltage magnitude, each semiconductor switch operable, upon receipt of the switch-on and switch-off commands, to switch between a conductive state and a non-conductive state, respectively, to thereby selectively supply one or more therapy pulses using the electrical energy from the electrical energy source;
• and
• one or more switch driver circuits coupled to receive the drive commands and operable, in response thereto, to selectively supply the switch-on and switch-off commands to at least one of the semiconductor switches, each switch driver circuit coupled to receive a portion of the supplied therapy pulses and configured to increase the voltage magnitudes of the switch-on and switch-off commands to a magnitude that maintains the switch in the conductive state or the non-conductive state, respectively, while the therapy pulses are being supplied.