Patent ID: 8652129

Claim:
A catheter apparatus, comprising: an elongated shaft extending along an axis, the elongated shaft comprising a proximal end region and a distal end region, the distal region including a first flexure zone and a second flexure zone adjacent to and extending distally beyond the first flexure zone; a handle coupled to the proximal end region; a thermal element carried by and extending distally beyond the second flexure zone, wherein the thermal element comprises a single distal tip electrode having an atraumatic tip; a flexure control element coupled to the first flexure zone and configured to apply a first force to the first flexure zone to move the first flexure zone of the distal region of the elongated shaft in a radial direction away from the axis; a flexible structure within the second flexure zone that is coupled to the thermal element and configured to allow passive flexure in any plane about the axis in response to a second force applied to the thermal element via contact with a tissue surface; a flexure controller carried by the handle and coupled to the flexure control element, wherein the flexure controller is configured to cause the flexure control element to apply the first force to move the first flexure zone; and a connector carried by the handle and configured to connect the thermal element to a thermal energy source; wherein the thermal element is configured to apply treatment to a tissue region adjacent to the tissue surface.