Basket catheter having insulated ablation electrodes and diagnostic electrodes

A method for producing a catheter, the method comprising:

• receiving multiple splines, wherein, each of the multiple splines are formed from an electrically conductive material, at least 60 percent of a length of at least one spline of the multiple splines is non-insulated for making contact with a tissue of an organ of a patient and for applying electrical pulses to the tissue, and wherein at most 40 percent of the length of the at least one spline is insulated;
• assembling the multiple splines between an apex of the catheter and a shaft of the catheter, wherein the insulated length of the at least one spline is positioned between the non-insulated length and the apex of the catheter for producing an expandable distal-end assembly, wherein at least a portion of the apex is non-insulated for making contact with tissue of the organ of the patient and for applying electrical pulses to the tissue;
• coupling one or more electrodes to at least one of (i) the insulated length of the at least one spline of the multiple splines, and (ii) the apex, for sensing electrical signals when placed in contact with the tissue;
• and
• coupling to the apex a bump stop configured to contact a distal tip of the shaft of the catheter when a force is applied to the expandable distal-end assembly to maintain a minimal distance between the shaft and the apex.

A method comprising:

• inserting into an organ of a patient, a catheter having an expandable distal-end assembly comprising multiple splines, wherein, each spline of the multiple splines are formed from an electrically conductive material, (i) at least 60 percent of a length of at least one spline of the multiple splines is non-insulated for applying electrical pulses to a tissue of the organ, and (ii) at most 40 percent of the length of the at least one spline of the multiple splines is insulated and is coupled between an apex of the catheter and a shaft of the catheter, wherein at least one of the insulated length of the at least one spline and the apex has one or more electrodes for sensing electrical signals in the tissue;
• coupling a bump stop to the apex of the catheter to ensure a gap between the bump stop and a tip of the shaft of the catheter when a force is applied to the expandable distal-end assembly, the bump stop being configured to contact the tip of the shaft;
• contacting the apex of the catheter to the tissue and sensing the electrical signals;
• and
• contacting the non-insulated length of the at least one spline to the tissue for applying the electrical pulses to the tissue.