Abstract: An implantable medical electrode for use with implantable medical device systems having a base formed of a tungsten alloy. The tungsten alloy electrode may be a lead-based or leadless electrode and may be provided with or without a coating. The tungsten alloy electrode is utilized in an implantable medical device that includes an electrode having a base formed of a tungsten alloy, an electrical contact, and an electronics module adapted to be electrically coupled to the electrode via the electrical contact.

Abstract: The present invention provides diverse methods and apparatus for in vivo monitoring, detecting and/or predicting potential failure modes or deleterious trends of chronically implanted medical electrical leads prior to actual failure of said leads. Certain embodiments of the invention involve applying a relatively increased data sampling rate at various time intervals (e.g., periodically, randomly, and/or manually-triggered and the like) prior to actual detection of a deleterious trend, to thereby increase the probability of detecting one or more parameters indicative of a potential lead performance issue. At least some of the parameters are utilized because they are not typically reliably detected at relatively lower data sampling rates.

Abstract: A method for treating cardiac arrhythmia includes infusing an agent, adapted to facilitate treating the arrhythmia, directly into a cardiac vein and delivering a defibrillating shock between two electrodes.