Patent ID: 8000788

Claim:
A method comprising: implanting into a patient a medical device having at least three leadless electrodes located on a housing of the medical device, a brain port, and a cardiac port, the medical device having a processor communicatively coupled to the cardiac port, the brain port, and the at least three leadless electrodes, each of the at least three leadless electrodes adapted for cardiac sensing; implanting into the patient a brain lead having a proximal end coupled to the brain port and a distal end with at least one electrode, and implanting the distal end in the patient at a location to sense electrical signals from the patient's brain; disabling the cardiac port either before or after implantation of the device; determining which of the at least three leadless electrodes will be used for cardiac monitoring and which of the at least three leadless electrodes will instead be used for brain signal monitoring; enabling cardiac monitoring from two of the at least three leadless electrodes based on the determination; enabling brain signal monitoring from one of the at least three leadless electrodes adapted for cardiac sensing but not enabled for cardiac monitoring based on the determination, the processor including sensing circuitry adapted to receive and process electrical signals received by the distal end of the brain lead and the one of the at least three leadless electrodes enabled for brain signal monitoring; monitoring for the presence of cardiac events that may require cardiac therapy; if no cardiac events that may require therapy are identified, maintaining cardiac monitoring using the two leadless electrodes; and if a cardiac event that may require cardiac therapy is identified, enabling the cardiac port.