Abstract: An iridium oxide coating for application on an external surface of an electrode of a medical lead is described. The iridium coating is applied using pulse DC sputtering. The coating provides the electrode with an increased double layer capacitance and a reduced electrical impedance. The iridium oxide coating is characterized as having a dense structure with a surface morphology having the general appearance of a fractal or cauliflower shape. The pulse DC sputtered iridium oxide coating is achieved through a mixture ratio of oxygen and argon gases, a sputtering power of between 75 to 125 W, a chamber pressure ranging from about 20-30 mTorr, and a frequency ranging from 50 kHz to 150 kHz. The coated electrode may be used to facilitate the injection of electrical charge stimulation and/or monitor biorhythms of cardiac and neurological tissue.

Abstract: Terminal pins comprising a core of a first electrically conductive material selectively coated with a layer of a second electrically conductive material for incorporated into feedthrough filter capacitor assemblies are described. The feedthrough filter capacitor assemblies are particularly useful for incorporation into implantable medical devices such as cardiac pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and the like, to decouple and shield internal electronic components of the medical device from undesirable electromagnetic interference (EMI) signals.