Patent ID: 8133220

Claim:
A catheter for ablating tissue, the catheter comprising: an elongated catheter body having proximal and distal ends and at least one lumen extending therethrough; and an electrode assembly mounted at the distal end of the catheter body, the electrode assembly comprising: a generally tubular ablation electrode formed of a material having shape-memory and having a generally straight exposed region with proximal and distal ends and at least one irrigation port in the exposed region through which fluid can pass from the inside to the outside of the ablation electrode, the exposed region being generally transverse to the catheter body, a tip at a distal end of the electrode assembly and comprising a generally ball-shaped exposed region extending from a distal face of the generally tubular ablation electrode, wherein the generally ball-shaped exposed region has a diameter greater than a diameter of the tubular ablation electrode, at least one proximal mapping electrode mounted proximal to and generally collinear with the exposed region of the generally tubular ablation electrode, first and second distal mapping electrodes incorporated into the generally ball-shaped exposed region of the tip; and means for introducing fluid into the tubular electrode.