Method and apparatus for electrical stimulation

摘要

Pulsed electrical stimulation is applied to selected tissues via electrodes positioned on and/or in the body. Each electrode is connected to an output ( 108 ) of the apparatus. Each output ( 108 ) is connected between a high side switch ( 110 ) and a low side switch ( 112 ) of a switching array. Each stimulation pulse is subdivided into a number of time periods. By operation of the switches ( 110, 112 ) each electrode can be selected to operate as an anode or a cathode or neither during any given time period. The spatial and/or time summation of the anode-cathode currents is controlled to selectively to stimulate selected regions and/or types of tissues, typically nerve tissues.