Patent ID: 6898465

Claim:
A pair of medical electrodes for delivering high-energy defibrillation or stimulation, said pair of electrodes comprising: a first electrode including: a first electrode member having a first top face and a first bottom face, a first electrically conductive coating of a first metal and a first amount of metal chloride, said first coating being disposed on said first bottom face, and a first electrically conductive gel pad disposed on said first coating; and a second electrode including: a second electrode member having a second top face and a second bottom face, a second electrically conductive coating of a second metal and a second amount of metal chloride, said second coating being disposed on said second bottom face, said second amount of metal chloride being greater than said first amount of metal chloride, and a second electrically conductive gel pad disposed on said second coating; said first electrically conductive coating comprises: (a) a first center with a first amount of a first conductor, (b) a first inner edge defining the terminus of said first center and a first step at which said conductor drops from said first amount of said first conductor to a second amount of said first conductor, (c) a first outer edge defining the terminus of said first coating and at which said first conductor is substantially absent, and (d) a first predetermined gradient disposed between said first inner edge and said first outer edge; and said second electrically conductive coating comprises: (a) a second center with a first amount of a second conductor, (b) a second inner edge defining the terminus of said second center and a second step at which said second conductor drops from said first amount of said second conductor to a second amount of said second conductor, (c) a second outer edge defining the terminus of said second coating and at which said second conductor is substantially absent, and (d) a second predetermined gradient disposed between said second inner edge and said second outer edge.