Patent ID: 8682451

Claim:
An implantable medical device lead comprising: a lead body; a stationary electrode member, the stationary electrode member comprising a distal coil that extends along the lead body; a non-stationary electrode member movable longitudinally between a refracted position and an extended position, the non-stationary electrode member comprising a fixation helix extendable from within the lead body, the stationary electrode member relatively larger than the non-stationary electrode member; an electrical interconnect electrically connected to the stationary electrode member and the non-stationary electrode member; and a capacitor electrically connected to the non-stationary electrode member and stationary electrode member, the capacitor disposed within the lead body and between the stationary electrode member and the non-stationary electrode member, wherein the capacitor is configured such that, at frequencies associated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the capacitor operates as a short circuit between the non-stationary electrode member and stationary electrode member to shunt energy from the fixation helix to the distal coil and, at frequencies associated with pacing and sensing, the capacitor operates as an open circuit between the non-stationary electrode member and stationary electrode member.