US Patent 6978171 Automated impedance measurement of an implantable medical device

The present invention automates impedance measurements between pairs of electrodes that are associated with a lead of an implanted device. Apparatus comprises a communications module and a processor, in which the processor communicates with the implanted device over a communications channel. The processor instructs the implanted device to perform a voltage measurement that is associated with a stimulation pulse between the pair of electrodes. The implanted device sends the voltage measurement to the apparatus over the communications channel from which the apparatus determines the impedance between the pair of electrodes. The apparatus initiates an impedance measurement for each pair of electrodes along the lead. With a plurality of leads, the apparatus repeats the impedance measurements for electrode pairs of the other leads. The embodiment also supports measuring a current between pairs of electrodes. The impedance measurements and current measurements are displayed to a clinician on a user interface.