Patent ID: 7792585

Claim:
For use with an implantable system that includes an implantable cardiac stimulation device and a multi-electrode lead (MEL) that includes N groups of electrodes, with each of the N groups including at least M electrodes, where N≧2 and M is ≧2, where electrodes in a same group are within 5 mm of one another, and where electrodes in separate groups are at least 10 mm from one another, a method for identifying cathode-anode electrode configurations that can be used to not exceed a maximum acceptable capture threshold, and that provide a sensed intrinsic R-wave amplitude of at least a minimum acceptable sensing threshold, the method comprising: (a) identifying each electrode that can be used as a cathode by (a.1) connecting each electrode of the MEL individually as the cathode; (a.2) determining, for each electrode individually connected as the cathode, a capture threshold and a sensed intrinsic R-wave amplitude; (a.3) storing data indicative of the capture threshold and the sensed intrinsic R-wave amplitude, for each electrode individually connecting as the cathode; and (a.4) identifying, as an electrode that can be used as the cathode, each electrode that achieves both a capture threshold that does not exceed a maximum acceptable capture threshold, and a sensed intrinsic R-wave amplitude that at least reaches a minimum acceptable sensing threshold, said identifying based on the data stored at (a.3); (b) for each electrode of the MEL identified as an electrode that can be used as the cathode, identifying one or more other electrode in the same group that can be used as a corresponding anode by (b.1) connecting, individually as the anode, each other electrode in the same group as the electrode that can be used as the cathode, while the electrode that can be used as the cathode is connected as the cathode; (b.2) determining, for each cathode-anode combination of (b.1), a capture threshold and a sensed intrinsic R-wave amplitude; (b.3) storing data indicative of the capture threshold and the sensed intrinsic R-wave amplitude, for each cathode-anode electrode configuration of (b.1); and (b.4) identifying, as an electrode that can be used as the anode, each other electrode connected as the anode at (b.1) that provided a cathode-anode electrode configuration that achieves both a capture threshold that does not exceed the maximum acceptable capture threshold, and a sensed intrinsic R-wave amplitude that at least reaches the minimum acceptable sensing threshold, said identifying based on the data stored at (b.3).