A catheter assembly, comprising: an elongate catheter having an end effector at a distal portion thereof; and a structural member that is housed within the end effector, defines a longitudinal axis and includes a first segment and a second segment that are adjacent each other along said longitudinal axis, said first and second segments (118, 124) defining a first slot therebetween, said first slot being bridged by a first flexure, and a third segment adjacent said second segment along said longitudinal axis, said second and third segments (184, 124) defining a second slot therebetween, said second slot being bridged by a second flexure, the second flexure having an area centroid through which a neutral axis passes which is parallel to the longitudinal axis and an inertial axis x-x and an inertial axis y-y which are orthogonal to each other and pass through the area centroid, wherein the inertial axis x-x identifies the axis about which the area moment of inertia is minimum; and a plurality of fiber optics operatively coupled with said structural member, each of said plurality of fiber optics having a distal end (150a, 150b, 150c) that is proximate a corresponding reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c) to define a respective gap (153a, 153b, 153c) therebetween, said reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c) extending from said third segment of said structural member, each of said plurality of fiber optics being oriented to emit the light across said respective gap (153a, 153b, 153c) and onto said corresponding reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c), wherein the reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c) is configured for reflecting the light emitted by the plurality of fiber optics, and said structural member is configured to produce a change in the dimension of at least one of said respective gaps (153a, 153b, 153c) in response to a force exerted on the end effector, and an intensity of the reflected light received by the plurality of fiber optics varies inversely with the dimension of the at least one of said respective gaps (153a, 153b, 153c), characterized in that each of said respective gaps (153a, 153b, 153c) is disposed proximate said second slot, and an angular distribution of the plurality of fiber optics and paired reflecting members (151a, 151b, 151c) relative to the inertial axis y-y is not uniform. an elongate catheter having an end effector at a distal portion thereof; and a structural member that is housed within the end effector, defines a longitudinal axis and includes a first segment and a second segment that are adjacent each other along said longitudinal axis, said first and second segments (118, 124) defining a first slot therebetween, said first slot being bridged by a first flexure, and a third segment adjacent said second segment along said longitudinal axis, said second and third segments (184, 124) defining a second slot therebetween, said second slot being bridged by a second flexure, the second flexure having an area centroid through which a neutral axis passes which is parallel to the longitudinal axis and an inertial axis x-x and an inertial axis y-y which are orthogonal to each other and pass through the area centroid, wherein the inertial axis x-x identifies the axis about which the area moment of inertia is minimum; and a plurality of fiber optics operatively coupled with said structural member, each of said plurality of fiber optics having a distal end (150a, 150b, 150c) that is proximate a corresponding reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c) to define a respective gap (153a, 153b, 153c) therebetween, said reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c) extending from said third segment of said structural member, each of said plurality of fiber optics being oriented to emit the light across said respective gap (153a, 153b, 153c) and onto said corresponding reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c), wherein the reflecting member (151a, 151b, 151c) is configured for reflecting the light emitted by the plurality of fiber optics, and said structural member is configured to produce a change in the dimension of at least one of said respective gaps (153a, 153b, 153c) in response to a force exerted on the end effector, and an intensity of the reflected light received by the plurality of fiber optics varies inversely with the dimension of the at least one of said respective gaps (153a, 153b, 153c), characterized in that each of said respective gaps (153a, 153b, 153c) is disposed proximate said second slot, and an angular distribution of the plurality of fiber optics and paired reflecting members (151a, 151b, 151c) relative to the inertial axis y-y is not uniform.