Patent ID: 7706894

Claim:
A catheter for mapping and/or ablation of heart tissue at a target site of a heart wall comprising: a handle; a catheter body attached to the handle, the catheter body having a catheter body axis extending through a proximal section and a distal section, the distal section comprising distal, proximal, and intermediate segments and a distal electrode in the distal segment; wherein the angular orientation of the distal segment of the catheter body can be altered in relation to the catheter body axis in the proximal section to align the distal electrode with the surface of the heart tissue at the target site; means for selectively inducing a knuckle bend in the intermediate segment with respect to the proximal and distal segments independently of a formation of any curving of the proximal segment. the knuckle bend having a radius of between about 2.0 , mm and 7.0 mm through a range of about −90° to about +180° with respect to the catheter body axis; and means for selectively inducing a curve in the proximal segment with respect to the catheter body axis in the proximal section independently of any formation of a knuckle bend in the intermediate segment, the curve having a radius exceeding the radius of the knuckle bend through a range of between about −180° to about +270° with respect to the catheter body axis, whereby the distal electrode is oriented and can be urged from the handle outside the body against the target site with force applied through the catheter body