Flexible High-Density Mapping Catheter Tips and Flexible Ablation Catheter Tips With Onboard High-Density Mapping Electrodes

A catheter comprising:

• a catheter shaft comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the catheter shaft defining a catheter shaft longitudinal axis extending between the proximal end and the distal end;
• a flexible tip portion fixed adjacent to the distal end of the catheter shaft, the flexible tip portion comprising a flexible framework formed of a plurality of longitudinally extending electrode-carrying arms fixed adjacent to the distal end of the catheter shaft to prevent longitudinal movement between the electrode-carrying arms and the distal end of the catheter shaft, wherein at least a portion of each of the plurality of electrode-carrying arms extends parallel to the catheter shaft longitudinal axis in a common plane, wherein each of the plurality of electrode-carrying arms converges with at least one other of the plurality of electrode-carrying arms at a distal portion of the flexible tip portion;
• and
• a plurality of electrodes mounted on the flexible framework and forming a flexible, planar array of electrodes adapted to conform to tissue, wherein the plurality of electrodes are uniformly distributed along each of the plurality of electrode-carrying arms and having a longitudinal spacing of about 1 mm to about 3 mm between adjacent electrodes.