Method for producing implantable electrode coatings with a plurality of morphologies

A cardiac pacing lead assembly, comprising:

• a) an implantable electrode, comprising:
• i) a substrate selected from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, iridium, platinum, palladium, niobium, and mixtures thereof;
• ii) microscopic surface structures directly contacting at least a portion of the substrate and configured for transmission of an electrical pulse to tissue, wherein the microscopic surface structures are of a first material in the form of columnar structures providing inter-columnar porosity between adjacent columns;
• and
• iii) secondary nanoscopic surface structures of a second material supported directly on the microscopic surface structures,
• iv) wherein the first material of the microscopic surface structures and the second material of the nanoscopic surface structures are selected from the group consisting of a nitride of the group consisting of boron, platinum, palladium, iridium, gold, titanium, tantalum, niobium, ruthenium, zirconium, and alloys and mixtures thereof;
• and
• b) an electrical conductor electrically connected to the implantable electrode.

An implantable electrode, comprising:

• a) a substrate selected from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, iridium, platinum, palladium, niobium, and mixtures thereof;
• b) microscopic surface structures directly contacting at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the microscopic surface structures comprise columnar titanium nitride;
• and
• c) secondary nanoscopic surface structures supported directly on the titanium nitride microscopic surface structures, wherein the nanoscopic surface structures comprise titanium nitride.

A method for making an implantable electrode, comprising the steps of:

• a) selecting a substrate from the group consisting of tantalum, titanium, zirconium, iridium, platinum, palladium, niobium, and mixtures thereof;
• b) depositing microscopic surface structures in the form of columnar structures providing inter-columnar porosity between adjacent to columns directly onto the substrate, the microscopic surface structures being of a first material selected from the group consisting of a nitride of the group consisting of boron, platinum, palladium, iridium, gold, titanium, tantalum, niobium, ruthenium, zirconium, and alloys and mixtures thereof;
• and
• c) depositing nanoscopic surface structures directly onto the microscopic surface structures, the nanoscopic surface structures being of a second material selected from the group consisting of a carbide, a nitride, a carbonitrides, and an oxide of the group consisting of carbon, boron, platinum, palladium, iridium, gold, titanium, tantalum, niobium, ruthenium, zirconium, and alloys and mixtures thereof.