Systems and methods for measuring electrode impedance during a normal operation of a cochlear implant system

A system comprising:

• a cochlear implant implanted within a patient and electrically coupled to a plurality of electrodes;
• and
• a sound processor communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant;
• wherein the sound processor
• receives an audio signal presented to the patient during a normal operation of the cochlear implant,
• directs the cochlear implant to generate and apply an electrical stimulation pulse representative of the audio signal by way of an electrode included in the plurality of electrodes, and
• determines an impedance of the electrode by directing the cochlear implant to measure a voltage level associated with the electrode while the electrical stimulation pulse is being applied by way of the electrode.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a sound processor included in a cochlear implant system associated with a patient, an audio signal presented to the patient during a normal operation of the cochlear implant system;
• directing, by the sound processor, a cochlear implant included in the cochlear implant system to generate and apply an electrical stimulation pulse representative of the audio signal by way of an electrode included in a plurality of electrodes coupled to the cochlear implant;
• and
• determining, by the sound processor, an impedance of the electrode by directing the cochlear implant to measure a voltage level associated with the electrode while the electrical stimulation pulse is being applied by way of the electrode.