초록 ▼

Disclosed herein are circuits and methods for generating a compliance voltage from a battery voltage in an implantable stimulator device. In one embodiment, the battery voltage is boosted to form the compliance voltage for driving the current sources (DACs) that provide therapeutic current to the el

Disclosed herein are circuits and methods for generating a compliance voltage from a battery voltage in an implantable stimulator device. In one embodiment, the battery voltage is boosted to form the compliance voltage for driving the current sources (DACs) that provide therapeutic current to the electrodes on the device. Such improved boosting circuitry is preferably cascaded and comprises two stages. The first stage is preferably a step-up converter, which is used to generate an intermediate voltage from the battery voltage. The second stage is preferably a charge pump, which is used to generate the compliance voltage from the intermediate voltage. By splitting the boosting into stages, power efficiency during generation of high voltages is improved compared to the use of step-up converters and resolution in setting the compliance voltage is improved compared to the use of charge pumps alone. Moreover, depending on the compliance voltage to be produced by the boosting circuitry, the various stages can be selectively activated.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method for boosting a battery voltage to a compliance voltage in an implantable medical device, comprising:boosting a battery voltage to an intermediate voltage using at least a first boosting stage;if a compliance voltage is higher than a threshold voltage, boosting the int

What is claimed is: 1. A method for boosting a battery voltage to a compliance voltage in an implantable medical device, comprising:boosting a battery voltage to an intermediate voltage using at least a first boosting stage;if a compliance voltage is higher than a threshold voltage, boosting the intermediate voltage to the compliance voltage using at least a second boosting stage, else using the intermediate voltage as the compliance voltage; andusing the compliance voltage to drive a current through an electrode of the implantable medical device for stimulating a patient's tissue.