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The Electrode‐Tissue Interface: The Revolutionary Role of Steroid‐Elution
Author(s) -
MOND HARRY G.,
HELLAND JOHN R.,
STOKES KENNETH,
BORNZIN GENE A.,
RICK
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pacing and clinical electrophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.686
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1540-8159
pISSN - 0147-8389
DOI - 10.1111/pace.12461
Subject(s) - endocardium , medicine , electrophysiology , electrode , stimulus (psychology) , cathode , stimulation , myocyte , cardiac muscle , biomedical engineering , cardiology , biophysics , electrical engineering , biology , chemistry , psychotherapist , engineering , psychology
The electrode‐tissue interface is that area lying between the cathode of a low‐voltage implantable pacemaker or cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) lead and the endocardium or epi‐myocardium of the cardiac chamber being paced. The electrical stimulus that is delivered to this interface is responsible for myocyte depolarization with consequent cardiac contraction. The process by which this occurs is reasonably well understood and any explanation requires a basic understanding of the physics and cellular electrophysiology of pacing. The effective and efficient delivery of electrical energy to the myocardium via the lead is dependent on many factors to be discussed in this review. However, despite numerous evolutionary changes occurring in the cathode's material, design, and surface configuration, it was not until the incorporation of steroid‐elution to the electrode‐tissue interface that reliable and significantly low stimulation threshold cardiac pacing became possible.