Patent ID: 8577457

Claim:
An implantable medical system, comprising: an implantable medical electrical lead having: an electrode; a first conductor having a first distal portion; a second conductor having a second distal portion; an insulator disposed over the first and second conductors; and a coupling member disposed proximate to the first and second distal portions, wherein the coupling member selectively: couples the first conductor to the electrode while being decoupled from the second conductor in a first configuration, and couples the first conductor to the second conductor to define a conductive pathway while decoupling the first conductor from the electrode in a second configuration; and an implantable medical device (IMD) coupled to the implantable medical electrical lead, the IMD having circuitry configured to measure an electrical property of the conductive pathway, wherein the IMD circuitry controls the coupling member in the first configuration and the second configuration, wherein said measurement is performed by said IMD circuitry controlling the coupling member selectively to operate in the first configuration and the second configuration.