Patent ID: 8628520

Claim:
A catheter, comprising: a catheter body; a tip section distal the catheter body adapted for radiofrequency ablation of tissue, the tip section comprising a distal end having a light diffusion chamber adapted to diffusively scatter light, the distal end of the tip section comprising at least a first portion having a surface generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tip section, a second portion having a surface at an angle θ ranging from about 0 to about 90° relative to the longitudinal axis of the tip section, and a third portion having a generally circumferential surface that is generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tip section; wherein the light diffusion chamber has at least three openings configured for passage of light to and from the tissue at a plurality of angles, wherein each of the first, second and third portions of the tip section carries at least one of the at least three openings and the at least one opening of the second portion is radially offset from the at least one opening of the third portion, the catheter further comprising means for emitting light through the openings to radiate the tissue, and means for collecting light returning to the light diffusion chamber through the openings, the light diffusion chamber comprising a polished interior wall configured to scatter light in the light diffusion chamber.