Improved measurement of evoked neural response characteristics

An automated method of measuring an evoked response to neural stimuli delivered to a neural pathway of a patient, the method comprising:

• delivering a neural stimulus to the neural pathway of the patient in order to evoke a neural response from the neural pathway, the neural stimulus being delivered according to a stimulus intensity parameter;
• capturing a signal window sensed on the neural pathway subsequent to the delivered neural stimulus;
• and
• measuring an intensity of a neural response evoked by the delivered neural stimulus in the captured signal window by correlating the captured signal window with a template,
• wherein the template is orthogonal to a predetermined artefact basis that models an artefact component in the captured signal window.

A neural stimulation system comprising:

• an implantable device for controllably delivering neural stimuli, the device comprising:
• a plurality of electrodes including one or more stimulus electrodes and one or more measurement electrodes;
• a stimulus source configured to provide neural stimuli to be delivered via the one or more stimulus electrodes to a neural pathway of a patient in order to evoke a neural response from the neural pathway;
• measurement circuitry configured to capture signal windows sensed on the neural pathway via the one or more measurement electrodes subsequent to respective neural stimuli;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the stimulus source to provide each neural stimulus according to a stimulus intensity parameter;
• a processor configured to:
• instruct the control unit to control the stimulus source to provide a neural stimulus according to a stimulus intensity parameter;
• and
• measure an intensity of an evoked neural response in a signal window captured subsequent to the provided neural stimulus by correlating the captured signal window with a template,
• wherein the template is orthogonal to a predetermined artefact basis that models an artefact component in the captured signal window.