Catheter

A catheter, comprising:

• an elongated shaft;
• and a self-expanding, ablation electrode at a distal end of the elongated shaft, the ablation electrode having a distalmost region that defines a leading surface of the catheter that is resiliently flexible inward in response to application of a threshold amount of an external force applied against the leading surface toward a proximal end region of the ablation electrode and generally along a longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft, wherein—the ablation electrode comprises struts that define a plurality of bounded cells, the struts are configured to conduct and deliver ablative energy along a majority of their lengths, each strut comprises a first end portion, a second end portion, and a body portion disposed between the first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion, the second end portion, and the body portion define an edge of a respective cell of the plurality of bounded cells, in which the body portion of at least some of the respective struts of the respective cell has a different cross-sectional shape than the first and second end portions thereof, and wherein multiple cells of the plurality of bounded cells are located successively between the distalmost region and the proximal end region, and two or more of the struts collectively form a conductive surface through which the ablative energy is deliverable to target tissue.

A cardiac therapy catheter, comprising:

• an elongated shaft having a distal end region;
• and a self-expanding electrode at the distal end region of the elongated shaft, wherein—the self-expanding electrode includes a distalmost portion that defines a leading surface of the catheter that is resiliently flexible inward in response to application of an external force against the leading surface in a direction toward a proximal end region of the self-expanding electrode and generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated shaft, the self-expanding electrode comprises struts that define a plurality of bounded cells, the struts are configured to conduct and deliver electrical energy along a majority of their length, the struts are movable relative to one another, each strut comprises a first end portion, a second end portion, and a body portion disposed between the first and second end portions, wherein the first end portion, the second end portion, and the body portion define an edge of a respective cell of the plurality of bounded cells, in which the body portion of at least some of the respective struts of the respective cell is wider than the first and second end portions thereof, and wherein multiple cells of the plurality of bounded cells are located successively between the distalmost portion and the proximal end region, and at least a portion of the struts are in electrical communication with one another to form a single electrical conductor.